


Family is Key

by peggyrogers



Category: The Fosters (TV 2013)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Rape/Non-con Elements, fosters family feels, new romance - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2017-01-22
Packaged: 2018-07-19 22:03:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 59,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7379122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peggyrogers/pseuds/peggyrogers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Foster family is shook when an old face returns. Stef gets back her very first baby, Ivy, who was taken away when she was 16 by her biological mother who happens to be Stef's sister. Ivy reconnects with her family and quickly settles back in her home. But dangerous baggage from her recent past puts her loved ones in danger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**_11:00am._ **

Her hands scurried through the side table, grabbing her car keys. Taking deep breaths. She went into her bedroom and took hold of the case she had always packed every few months but never had the balls to actually take and leave. Never having the strength to more like. But now she could leave.

She took hold of her phone, the damn thing was dead. Along with the things  _ they  _ took. A charger was one of them. So she couldn’t call her loved ones to warn them about her quick return.

_ ‘Payphone’  _ she thought to herself  _ ‘Payphone payphone, there’s one downstairs’ _

She grabbed the change that was left on the side. Counting it fast she had enough money for two phone calls. Grabbing her case, she ran out of the apartment for good. Down the stairs and to the payphone.

Putting the money in the payphone as she dialed the first number. There was a long beeped noise.

_ “This number is no longer in use. Please try another” _

She pressed the phone firmly against her forehead  _ ‘Changed their number. Great. Why didn’t they tell me they changed their goddamn number’  _ she took deep breaths and thought of another number, the only number she could really think of right now.

_ “Hello?” _

Thank god.

“Grams...it’s me”

_ “Ivy? Well hi love!  _ _ This is a surprise! What’s going on, you okay?” _

Ivy bowed her head down and said bluntly “She took off”

She heard the sigh from over the phone  _ “She...What are you going to do?” _

A smile then formed on her face as she looked up to the sky “I’m going home. I’m getting in my car” she turned and looked at it over her shoulder “Gotta drive for eight hours but it will be worth it”

_ “So this is a blessing?” _

“Trust me. I  _ need _ to get away from here. Those two leaving is just the freedom for me to do it”

_ “Alright...have you called-” _

“No the numbers changed. Look the time on this payphone is gonna run out soon. If you can get a hold of her then tell her, but I gotta go. I love you”

Ivy hung the phone up and remained standing still for a moment, another small smile then appearing on her face. She pulled her car keys out of her pocket and gripped onto them hard as she took a step back and turned to her car, picking up her case and throwing it in the back before pulling the roof back up and over her mustang, then getting in the front. Sitting in her car seat, she took another deep breath. Turning the engine on and slowly pulling out of the parking lot.

Heading back to San Diego. A place where she never should have left.

* * *

**_1:30pm_ **

_ ‘We have an armed robbery on Imperial Ave requesting back up’ _

Stef sighed as she sat back in her car seat, Mike shrugged “Well. We got nothing better to do”

Stef scoffed a laugh and shook her head as she turned on the engine of the car. But he was right, it had been a slow day, they may aswell make themselves useful. They made their way to the small store where the distressed young man was inside with a gun pointing at the woman behind the cash counter.

Stef and Mike got out the car, with their guns gripped tightly in their hands. Stef went round the back and found the back door, walking through it, she looked at Mike through the crack of the slightly opened door to the front, she nodded to him as he did to her. Mike and Stef both walked through the doors in front of them and held their guns up to the man with the gun.

With two guns pointing at him from the front and back. He dropped his gun and got down on his knees with his hands on his head. Stef sighed as she lowered her gun as Mike went over and arrested him. The young man had red eyes from crying. Clearly he had been going through something that caused him to just tip over the edge. But he wasn’t the main priority right now. Stef put her gun back in her holster and turned to the frightened woman, at first she had to stare at her for a moment after glancing to her.

After realising that she wasn’t who Stef thought she was, Stef shook her head and finally spoke “Are you alright?”

The woman nodded. Stef put her hand on her arm “What’s your name?”

“Harriet, Harriet Bell”

“Okay Harriet, understandably this has been a scary moment for you but we’re going to have to ask you to come down to the station and give a witness statement okay?”

Harriet nodded with her arms tightly crossed. For support, Stef rubbed her back and guided her out of the store. With the young man in the back of Stef and Mike’s car, she sent Harriet into the other police car the  _ stupidly  _ only just arrived. After Stef gave a briefing to the officers in the car, she walked back over to Mike, who was looking over her shoulder to Harriet in the back, with a laugh he said “Y’know for a split second I thought that was your sister” 

“Yeah? So did I” Stef muttered as she looked down to the floor for a moment. Mike looked at her and then asked “Ever hear from her?”

“Not one peep...hardly surprising you know we were never close”

Mike shrugged “I know but you always had one reason to call”

“I talked to Ivy by myself. Texts, calls. Recently it stopped...actually getting kind of worried” Stef said, biting her lip and walked over to the car. Mike turned to her and followed her “Can’t you call her?”

“Apparently not. Got no answer” Stef shook her head as she stood by the door, she shrugged “There’s not much I can do here, Mike, I have no idea where about she is. Even if I did I'm not legally allowed to go near her. Can’t contact her...and if I’m being honest...I thought she’d have come home by now”

Mike stared at her with sympathy for a moment, Stef shrugged it off and opened the car door “I’m fine, I swear” Stef got in the car, as did Mike. She closed her eyes for a moment as she felt Mike’s eyes still on her, she looked down and repeated in a more stern voice “I’m fine”

Mike wasn’t convinced, he was married to her for years, he knew when she was lying. And this was Stef lying. But he also knew how stubborn she was and decided it was better to just let this one go, Stef can be very guarded about Ivy.

Ivy was Stef’s niece. Her older sister, Kath fell pregnant with her through a one night stand and as soon as she gave birth to Ivy, she practically handed her over to Stef, who was only twenty and in college to be like her dad, her life was mapped out. Having a child dumped on her was never the idea...but she couldn’t leave Ivy the way Kath did. She fell in love with her as if she was her own. Frank and Sharon of course helped raise her, with Kath popping in every few months to visit and spend a day or two with her before running off again to live the life she wanted, filled with drugs and random men.

When Stef moved out to live with Mike, Ivy went with her and lived with them. Then Brandon came along, five years after that so did Stef and Mike’s divorce. Ivy moved again with Stef into the house the whole family now lives in with Lena. Years went on and the family grew.

Ivy went over fifteen years living with Stef whilst having her _ ‘mother’ _ pop in now and then, with crappy presents at Christmas and birthdays. Then, a few weeks into being sixteen, Kath made a final return. Telling Stef that she was leaving, refusing to tell her where and then said she was taking Ivy with her. Stef had only just convinced her to let Kath consider letting Stef and Lena adopt Ivy, and then she turned up with that bombshell and there was nothing they could do. Before they even knew it, before they even had the chance to blink, Ivy was gone.

Talking through the phone, Ivy told her where she was. San Francisco. But Stef was soon threatened, and Kath had taken out a restraining order against her and the entire family to stop her from coming. No one could go near Kath, which means they couldn’t go near Ivy whilst she remained under her mother's control.

Ivy was Stef’s first baby when she thought about it, and losing her was the hardest thing she had ever been through. It certainly shook the whole family.

* * *

**_2:45pm_ **

Stef was sat at her desk. Going over some paperwork that was well overdue. Paperwork was never fun, anything to distract her from doing this was good enough. So when her phone rang, she was more the eager to pick it up.

“Hello”

_ “Stef, it’s mom” _

“Hey mom” Stef softly smiled as she sat back in her chair and threw her pen down on her desk, she cleared her throat “What’s up?”

_ “I’ve been trying to call you for a while now, there’s something you need to know” _

Stef then sat back forward in her chair “Are you alright?”

_ “Yeah I’m fine it’s just-” _

“Stef!” Mike called. Stef groaned and pressed her phone at her shoulder and looked to him as he stood down the hall “What?”

“We gotta go”

Stef rolled her eyes “Seriously?”

“Yeah seriously, crime doesn’t rest y’know”

Stef took her focus back to the phone and shook her head as she sighed “Mom this will have to wait”

_ “But-” _

“I’m sorry, mom, I’ll talk later okay? I’ll call you back” Stef didn’t really give Sharon a chance to respond, she just said ‘bye’ and hung up, then getting up and following Mike out to see to whatever it was that she was being called out to.

* * *

**_6:57pm_ **

The family all lowered their knifes and folks, all finishing up their dinner and all stuffed. Jesus felt like he could actually go another round and have the leftovers but Stef slapped his hand away and packed it up in Tupperware for lunch tomorrow. He frowned and shrugged “Why do you get to have it tomorrow?”

“Because I’m a cop” Stef blunty said as she sat back down, as Lena put down a cake in the middle of the table that Mariana made with Mat. Brandon looked down to it and pointed “Is this safe?”

Mariana leaned over the table and swatted his arm “Hey! Mat and I are very skilled cake bakers!”

Lena muttered a laugh as she wiped her hands with a hand towel and asked with her eyebrows slightly raised “Who’s looking forward to going back to school then? No more summer, back to normal on monday”

Everyone frowned.

Jude noticed Lena’s unimpressed look and shrugged, saying with a soft expression “Won’t be that bad”

Lena let out a light laugh and nodded as she began to cut the cake “Thank you, buba, for that vote of confidence”

Jesus sighed and shook his head “Well I’m not looking forward to it”

“You never are” Mariana rolled her eyes. Jesus scowled at her and grabbed a slice of cake and slapped it down on his plate, not wasting a single second. 

“Whoa cool there, Jesus, no one is going to take it away from you” Stef said with a laugh. Lena looked to her, she noticed how off Stef had been, even by that fake laugh that she just plastered on, she knew something was up. Stef looked at the cake and rubbed Mariana’s back as she said “I’ll have mine later on, love, okay? But it looks  _ delicious _ ” Stef smiled as she kissed her cheek as she got out of her seat and walked over to the sink with her plate.

Lena walked over to her, standing closely beside her she said in a quiet tone “What’s wrong?”

Stef looked to her and tried to shake the subject off “Nothing”

Lena tilted her head with a soft smile “Stefanie Marie Adams Foster I’ve been with you for eleven years I  _ know  _ when you’re lying to me”

Stef stood up straight from leaning against the sink, glancing to the kids over her shoulder for a second and then looked back to Lena. She looked down at the floor for a moment with her hand on her hip, Stef looked back up to Lena and said in a mutter “There was this armed robbery that Mike and I had to cover today…”

“Are...are you okay?”

“Hm? Oh yeah, love, I’m fine, I’m fine. It’s just that...the woman who was the cashier looked like Katherine and it got me thinking about Ivy”

Lena frowned, rubbing her wife’s arm as she saw how down she suddenly gotten, letting down that wall she had kept guarded up throughout the day. Lena let out a sigh, struggling on what to say to make her feel better. This was such a sensitive subject for Stef. Anyone mentions Ivy’s name and she either shuts them down or just tries to cut the conversation short, not through arrogance or being cold, but through her heart never healing from the hole she had when Ivy left.

Stef looked out the window and shook her head “I just...ever since she said that she couldn’t keep in contact anymore it's been harder. I know it's only been a matter of days but” she shrugged “And to be honest, none of those calls or texts were good enough, they weren’t. Not when I can remember her in my arms like it was yesterday but they were all I had and I just…” Stef looked back down to the floor and shook her head again, shrugging and folding her arms as she whispered “I’m just having a bad day about it”

“It’s only natural honey, she was... _ your baby _ ” Lena said with a laugh and a shrug “We always said that she’d come back”

“And she always said that she couldn’t. Lena whilst she’d with them she can never get away from it all...it’s her birthday next month, twenty one...twenty one years old and she’s still too scared to leave I mean what does that tell you?”

Again, Lena found it hard to say something to make her feel better. Because she was right. Ivy always told Stef how afraid she was to leave, to reasons she never wanted to explain. It had been hard to keep in touch, Kath would always check through her phone, purposely buying her an old styled phone that doesn’t have a lock on it. Plus, she couldn’t afford one more expensive. Ivy told Stef recently that she couldn’t keep in contact with her, again for a reason she could not explain. It was the last thing of Ivy she had left was through a few crappy messages and she couldn’t even have them anymore.

Stef shook her head and rubbed her forehead “You don’t have to say anything. I think I’m gonna go get in the bath”

“Stef…”

“Oh I was supposed to ring my mom back” Stef sighed, covering her eyes “Crap. My phone’s been dead all day”

All of a sudden, the doorbell went. Callie being the closest got off of her seat “I’ll get it” she called as she turned and walked to the front door. Lena looked to Stef, who kept her arms folded and her eyes locked onto a corner of the kitchen ceiling. 

After a few small exchanges, Callie was then heard saying more clear “Wait there”

She came back in the kitchen and stuck her thumb out to behind her “There’s a girl here. Pretty familiar actually, she asked for you” Callie pointed to Stef. It was bugging Callie on where she knew this girl from. Unaware it was from the family photo albums where she had seen her face before. 

Stef dropped her arms and began to walk over to the front, looking down at the floor as she walked up the two steps, she opened the front door back up. Her breath got caught in her throat.

Ivy stood there in front of her, after five years of being away. She looked nervous, clutching to her backpack strap and her case. Looking at Stef with so much hope. Stef didn’t know what to do or say, a part of her felt like she was just imagining her standing there after spending the last two minutes talking about her. Like some sort of mind game.

Ivy guled heavily and raised her eyebrows and finally said in a whisper “Aunt Stef” 

Stef let out a shaky breath at the sound of her voice. Ivy shook her head with tears filling up her eyes, saying in a light laugh “I swear I’m not some kind of hallucination”

“Wha...what are you-”

“They left...I was finally able to come home”

A smile formed on Stef’s face as she nodded through tears running down her face. Ivy dropped her backpack from her shoulder and her case from her hand, falling into Stef’s embrace. Clutching onto her tightly, burying her face in the crook of Stef’s neck. Stef ran her hand down Ivy’s hair and cradled her head, letting out a deep breath “Ivy”

Ivy let out a watery smile and nodded as she held onto Stef tighter “Hey”

Not understand what was taking Stef so long, Lena stepped forward and she herself felt as if she was imagining what her eyes were seeing. Then the kids saw the look on Lena’s face and soon became curious themselves, they then too got up and stood behind Lena.

Jesus, Mariana and Brandon’s heart felt like they dropped _. In a good way. _ Whilst Jude and Callie were still rather clueless. Callie leaned to Mariana and whispered “Okay, who is she?”

Mariana looked at Callie, rather bewildered by her question “You don’t recognize her from the family albums?” Callie took another look at the young woman. Ivy pulled her head back, still in Stef’s hold as Stef cupped her face and wiped her happy tears.

It then clicked. Callie pointed to her as Lena slowly walked over “Oh! That’s Ivy, your cousin, right?”

Mariana nodded with her gleaming smile and shook her shoulder excitedly against Callie’s arm “ _ Our _ cousin now, well she’s-”

“A sister” Jesus finished. Mariana nodded and pointed to him.  

Lena looked to Ivy with a shocked look on her face, letting out a laugh through her disbelief on what was happening. Ivy let out a breathless smile and stepped out of Stef’s hold to then be taking hold by Lena, hugging onto her tightly.

“Honey we’ve missed you” Lena smiled as she rubbed Ivy’s back.

Callie whispered to them “Remind me again”

Jesus quickly filled her in “She’s mom’s sister daughter. Basically dumped Ivy on mom ever since she was a baby, mom raised her. Then one day Kath just came and took her”

“Ivy was mom’s first baby” Mariana smiled. Hearing Brandon silently scoff. Mariana rolled her eyes and added in a more quiet whisper “Brandon had issues with her in the past”

Brandon shook his head and muttered “No no...well yeah but...glad she’s back”

Mariana raised an eyebrow and mouthed to Callie _“Jealous”_

Ivy pulled back again and looked back to Stef, who was still feeling overwhelmed, bringing her back to her for a tight embrace. Ivy opened her eyes and looked to the kids staring at her, with bright smiles. Ivy rubbed Stef’s back “Better say hi...and meet my new cousins”

Stef laughed and nodded “Yes you should and then we’ll talk through all of this” Stef cupped Ivy’s face briefly once again and got her bags with Lena as Ivy began to walk over to them, she was soon greeted by Mariana as she ran and jumped into her arms. Letting out an overwhelming burst of excited giggles with Ivy lifted her off of her feet. Holding onto her tight with more tears streaming down her cheeks. This is all she has wanted in the last five years, was to be right back here.

“Have you grown _at all_ since I’ve been away?”

“Shut up!” Mariana laughed, slapping Ivy’s back as she was lowered back down on her feet. Ivy smirked and ran her fingers through Mariana’s hair as she scanned her face “What do you know, you’re just as beautiful as you are on those pictures I received”

Mariana grinned “I missed you so much”

Mariana idolized Ivy ever since Stef and Lena took her and Jesus in. Followed her around like a little puppy, could always count on her to make her feel better. She was a big sister. A big sister that she was soon lost without when Ivy had to leave. Ivy smiled and nodded as she kissed Mariana’s forehead and whispered “I missed you too, babe” She wrapped her arms around Mariana again as she said “More than you can imagine”

Ivy slipped her arms down from Mariana as Jesus stepped down with his arms wide open to hug her. Ivy laughed and squeezed onto his arms before hugging him “Jeez. Biceps” Jesus laughed as he then wrapped his strong arms around her.

Jesus and Ivy were always close, Ivy being the tomboy at heart that she was, Jesus didn’t lose the who video game playing and basketball games from Brandon not being into any of that because he had her. Like Mariana, it broke him when she left. He no longer had that best friend.

“You’ve certainly gotten taller” Ivy muttered as she found it hard to believe that it was his head resting on top of hers rather than the other way around. Jesus let out another laugh and shrugged “Yeah well, they’ve been feeding me well”

“Ah good” Ivy whispered “I thought you’d shrink without me sneaking you all those chocolate bars”

“Almost did” Jesus teased back. Ivy mumbled a laugh and briefly touched his cheek before looking to Brandon.

Ivy could never exactly pinpoint what Brandon’s problem was, he was only young but still he didn’t take a shine to her at all. He was the most difficult eleven year old. Always arguing with her and always disobeying her when she was asked to look after him. All she could think of was that it was just jealousy, that even though he was Stef’s first child through birth, Ivy was the first one here, feeling like he was second best which was never the case.

But that was five years ago. He is now at the age that Ivy was at when she was taken away, he should be more mature by now. He gave a tight smile to Ivy through the awkward tension they still had “Hey, Ivy”

“Hi, B” Ivy smiled. Hugging him, not as excited and not as loving, but it was a fond friendly hug none the less. Hopefully they can get on better now that they have both grown up a bit. Last but not least, Ivy came face to face with her new cousins for the first time. She had seen Callie and Jude in the pictures Stef sent her a while back, such as the wedding.

Callie took a good look at Ivy before and felt slightly intimidated. This woman was without a doubt one of the most stunning women she had seen. There was something about her that just made her captivating. Her long blonde beach wavy hair, her slim  _ envious  _ body, not to mention she was _so_ pretty, with traits of Stef shining through, her laugh for one was just like Stef’s and her eyes. If Callie didn’t know any better, she’d think Ivy was Stef’s biological daughter.

Ivy’s warm smile was somewhat very relaxing, making her feel better about her nerves of speaking to her. Ivy stuck her hand out and said with a kind grin “Hi, Ivy” 

Callie looked to Mariana for a moment, who just nodded with her grin having no chance of wiping away as she looked to Ivy, Callie finally put on the same smile and shook her head, giving Ivy a gentle nod and saying in a dry voice “Callie”

“I’ve heard a lot of about you” Ivy’s eyes shifted to Jude and added “Both of you, hey” she took her hand out again, Jude shook it quicker than Callie did and beamed a smile “Hi, I’m Jude”

“Hey Jude” Ivy said as she put her hands on her hips. Mariana shook Ivy and said “ _Soooo_? What are you doing back!”

“Mariana” Stef spoke up as she and Lena put the cases to the side, she shook her head and sighed. Ivy waved her hand at Stef, dismissing her protective nature “It’s fine. Look. If I’m going to tell you what happened I may as well let you all know”

Stef raised her eyebrows to her “You sure, love?”

Ivy shrugged “It’s not as if anyone really values her anyway is it?”

She had a point. Stef, Frank and eventually Sharon disowned Kath straight after she did what she did. Frank never even mentioned her or said he has another daughter. As far as he was always concerned, Ivy was Stef’s. Sharon found it tougher, call it the motherly nature inside her. Frank and Sharon were included in the restraining order. Kath really wanted to make sure no one got to her.

Lena then remembered the restraining order and asked with concern “Is it okay for you to be here?”

Ivy raised an eyebrow, confused, then quickly catching on and nodded “Yeah, yeah, the restraining order she took out was against her not me, so I’m fine. She didn’t exactly think that one through”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Lena took a breath and broke the brief silence “Well, I’ll put the kettle on” Lena said as she and the kids made their way back into the kitchen. As Lena past her and hearing the kids walk away from behind her, with her hands still on her hips she slowly looked up to Stef and took a deep breath as she watched her walk towards her.

“Miss me?” Ivy teased in a whisper with a faint smile. She seemed pretty exhausted from this whole ordeal. Stef stepped up and took a good look at her, a smile creeping back onto her face as she fiddled with Ivy’s hair that rested on her shoulders, travelling down to her chest. Ivy did this often, ever since she was a kid. She always tried to crack a joke to make light of an emotional situation. Stef let out a weak smile as she tried to stop any more tears from running down her cheeks.

“A little” Stef teased back in a whisper. Then leaning forward and kissing her cheek before wrapping her arms around Ivy’s body once again. 


	2. Chapter 2

Lena poured the coffee into Ivy’s mug, the mug that was kept at the back of the cupboard because no one had the heart to throw it away. Handle was a little loose, perhaps she needed to move on from the mug shaped like _ Winnie The Pooh’s  _ face and buy a more stable one. Perhaps she could move on to something more mature. Like a mug shaped like _ Stitch’s _ face from _ Lilo and Stitch _ . 

Ivy let out a deep breath as she took the warm cup in her hands and sat on the seat, facing Callie, Jude and Brandon. With Mariana by her side of the left and Stef on the right, with Lena at the top of the table with Jesus. All eyes were on her. Just waiting her her to talk. Ivy rubbed her lips together and cleared her throat, taking her words to aim more at Stef “You’re probably wondering why I couldn’t contact you?”

She soon regretted saying that, realizing that she was now going to have to lie. Something she didn’t want to do but then again felt like she had no choice. Stef nodded with a warm expression on her face “Yeah that’d be a start”

Ivy sighed and looked down at the coffee. She was a good actress Ivy was. Hence her winning streak of bagging the lead roles in the show productions at her school both at Anchor Beach and Tenderloin Community in San Francisco. Also a writer it allowed her to come up with something quick “Mom…” she then scoffed and shook her head, realising no one was forcing her to call her that, unlike when she was with Kath. She was forced by her to call her  _ mom _ even though there was no emotional attachment to the name

“ _ Kath _ found out ‘bout the messages, not only did she threaten to call the police and use it against you as a violation to your restraining order because the phone was under her name or something, she also threatened to get Dylan, her boyfriend, to send his buddies down and do some damage. Look whether she was bluffing or whatever I refused to risk it. Dylan has buddies over here I would  _ not  _ risk it”

There was a sense of truth to what she was saying. Ivy couldn’t risk it, and the messages did get exposed. Just not to Katherine. By someone far worse that she just wants to forget about. Her lie went down just fine. Stef nodded and rubbed Ivy’s back “Alright, love, don’t worry about that. You were just looking out for us”

“I just didn’t want you guys to get mad or hurt, I felt like I needed to explain”

Lena smiled sweetly as she leaned down on the table “We appreciate that honey”

Ivy let out a tight smile. Mariana looked to her and asked with caution not to cause any upset towards Ivy or get another glare from Stef “So...what happened?”

Ivy cracked her back as she sat up straight and shook her head as she took a sip of her black coffee and shrugged, lowering it back down on the table “She and Dylan were no angels. I mean, he was drugged up unemployed and was in and out of trouble, and Katherine was, well also drugged up and earning barely enough to keep the rent up in the rat hole of an apartment...they had enemies and she” Ivy let out a laugh “Was probably going to end up in jail, which is why they left”

“What did she do?” Jesus asked.

Ivy looked at him “Enough damage to be in there for a while”

Stef saw the look on Ivy’s face and worry spread all over her body, she leaned forward and whispered “Please don’t tell me she hurt you”

Ivy looked to Stef, she didn’t want to cause any upset or any anger. She just wanted to be at home with them and finally relax without the worry of a loan shark bursting through the door. She plastered on a tight convincing smile and muttered “Other than ripping me away from the family I love? Nothing could have ever hurt me more”

It wasnt exactly a comforting answer, but it was Ivy’s way of asking them not to ask her to go in further detail about this. Which Stef picked up on quickly and let it slide. Ivy looked back down to the table as she rubbed her hand against it. She strummed her fingernails on the table and let out a brief raspberry before saying “Listen, fact of the matter is. Being with Kath was hell, it sucked and a lot of stuff went on that I don’t need to bring up, it’s in the past. All that really matters is that I’m home”

Everyone nodded and agreed. It was the main thing that Ivy was home. But Lena wanted answers just as much as Stef, she had to hold Stef in bed every night for countless nights whilst she cried over losing Ivy. They couldn’t just forget about that, but  _ much  _ like Stef, Ivy is extremely stubborn and once her heels were digged into something, there is no chance in getting them out quickly.

“Where are you gonna stay? I mean Callie is in our-my room now” Mariana quickly corrected herself.

Mariana’s room used to be Ivy’s and then when Mariana came along Ivy agreed to share her room with her, which was a pretty big thing for a _ pre-teen _ to do but she was cool with it. Then when Ivy was gone with no sign of coming back. They got rid of the single bed in the corner that was Mariana’s and she claimed Ivy’s twin bed in the centre of the room. Callie showed up and the rest was history.

“True” Ivy nodded, then turning in her chair to Stef and Lena “I should’ve thought about this”

Stef shook her head “Don’t be silly, babe, we’ll make room.  _ For now  _ we’ll just get the blow up bed up and you can sleep on the floor in our room”

“Good. So in case I have nightmares I won’t have to run far for comfort” Ivy mocked. Stef laughed and took hold of Ivy’s hand, giving her a quick kiss “Just one step”

Stef dropped Ivy’s hand and went on to say “We’ll find a more permanent space as we go along with it” 

“If you’re sure, cause until we get things sorted I could always...I dunno crash in my car”

Lena stared at her and blurted a laugh “You’re joking”

Ivy rolled her eyes and nodded “Thought you’d say that”

As Ivy was pulled into conversation with the kids. Stef looked to Lena and whispered “I’m just...I need to-”

“I know” Lena whispered in a nod. Stef turned to Ivy and nodded to outside.

Understanding what she was being asked, Ivy gave the kids all a smile as she followed Stef to outside. Ivy looked around at garden, with it all little up with little twinkly lights “I see you took my idea on” she said as she put her hands on her hips “Looks good”

Ivy turned around to see Stef stood by the bench. Ivy folded her arms and walked back over to her, shaking her head “Please don’t ask me what went on”

“If she hurt you I want to know”

“And what good would that do? Huh?” Ivy walked over to her and placed her hands on Stef’s arms “Aunt Stef let it be. If not for your own mental sake then for mine. All I want to do is forget”

“You had your whole life mapped out here” Stef sighed, Ivy took her hand and sat them both down on the bench, then nodded and letting out a sigh of her own “I know I did, off to college to pursue my career in writing and everything. But life doesn’t always work out the way you want it to”

Ivy looked to inside the kitchen and asked Stef as she turned back to her “Did Grams not call you?”

Stef raised an eyebrow “Yeah, I didn’t get the chance to actually hear her out or call her back but...why?”

Ivy shrugged “She knew. I called her this morning-by the way you changed your phone number?”

Stef sat back on the bench and nodded “Yeah we had to change landlines, I did text you”

Ivy laughed and shook her head “Kath probably saw it and deleted it” Ivy felt Stef take hold of her hand, she looked to her Aunt and saw her eyes closed and taking in a deep breath as she held onto her hand, just taking in the moment. Ivy leaned back and rested against Stef, her head resting underneath Stef’s chin, with their hands still entwined. Ivy let out a deep breath as she felt Stef stroke her hair with her free hand.

Stef kissed the top of Ivy’s head as they remained in silence.

“I’m never gonna leave again” Ivy whispered, squeezing Stef’s hand she added on “You’re stuck with me now”

Stef let out a soft laugh with her lips still against the top of Ivy’s head and muttered “Thank god” Stef opened her eyes as she rested her head against Ivy’s “You’ve grown”

“Yeah, bout 5’6 now” Ivy said with a faint smile, looking down to her hands “Your hair is longer. I like it”

Stef smiled as she ran her fingers through Ivy’s blonde locks, memorizing every single part of Ivy. Noticing the tattoos she had, on her wrist and at the top left hand side of her back. Her wrist tattoo was a bear paw print, which matched with what Mike, Frank, Sharon, Lena and herself all called her growing up.  _ Bear _ .  She had a big obsession with them as a child.

The one on her back, Stef couldn’t get that much of a look at, she put her hands on Ivy’s back and lightly pushed her forward, pulling down her shirt ever so slightly to look at it. Ivy smiled and bowed her head down as she did so.

The first one she looked at was a quote in typewriter font, in link to her being a writer she was guessing that said  _ ‘Families, like branches on a tree. We all grow in different directions yet our roots remain as one’  _

The words brought a smile and tears to her eyes. Then underneath the quote was a tree, all black with lighter tones to bring out the detail and five leaves falling down from the tree one by one. Stef tilted her head as she pressed her finger on the tattoo of the tree “Those leaves…”

“Represent you, Lena and the kids? Yeah” Ivy turned and faced Stef “Reminded me of  _ my roots _ ” She took hold of Stef’s hands and added “And if I ever got to the point of going off the rails or whatever, I’d look over my shoulder into the mirror and be reminded of who I am, where I came from”

“You drove all the way here?”

“Whole eight hours, just scraped enough money for gas but I made it. I didn’t care how long it took or how much it cost, I would have given  _ anything  _ just to get back here”

Stef placed her hand on Ivy’s cheek, Ivy rested her head against Stef’s hand and smiled with warmth, then looking to Stef and say with her eyebrows raised, her eyes welling up as she said in a dry whisper “You know, I haven’t been  _ hugged  _ in five years”

Her words caused Stef’s heart to ache, to think about that. Thinking about how her little girl had to live without any showing of love whatsoever for the past five years. Stef let out a watery smile as she brought her hand off of Ivy’s cheek “Well, we’ll have to make up for that won’t we?”

Ivy smiled as her bottom lip began to wobble. Stef knew this would happen, it doesn’t take long until Ivy’s wall comes crashing down, she had this wall built up ever since she was five, ever since she picked up on the fact that even though she had Stef...she was abandoned by her  _ mother _ . Ivy bowed her head down and bit her lip, shaking her head again she took a deep breath as she let out a quiet sob, rubbing her forehead she looked back up to Stef, no longer feeling the need to hide her face “I’ve needed you so much”

“Baby” Stef whispered, pulling Ivy in and wrapping her arms around her “You know I would have fought my way to you if I could, but my hands were tied”

“I know, I know I don’t blame you” Ivy muttered with her head resting on Stef, her eyes keeping shut “It’s just been so hard”

Stef cradled Ivy’s head “I promise you, babe, I will never let you slip through my fingers again”

Ivy let out a breathless grin as she sniffled her nose and holding onto Stef tighter. They both kept their eyes shut and rocked softly side to side.

* * *

After a little while, Ivy and Stef regrouped with the family in the kitchen. Jesus pointed to outside “Is that yours outside?”

He couldn’t help himself but go and sneak a peek from the living room window. Ivy laughed and nodded as she walked over to the table “It was practically a scrap heap before I fixed it up”

Ivy had a _ 1965 Mustang Convertible  _ it was baby blue and was all hers. It was about to be crushed like a can in the junk yard and she convinced the owner to let her have it through him being the Uncle of a close friend. Her  _ step dad _ , Dylan, told her that she would never be able to get it working. But she proved him wrong.

“It’s awesome” Jesus nodded with an excited grin on his face. Ivy smiled and shrugged “Well I suppose I could always do school runs for you some mornings”

Jesus stared at her and said “I missed you”

Ivy laughed and walked over to him, squeezing his shoulders and giving him a hug “Yeah figured you would”

The person who remained the most silent throughout this whole night since Ivy came back was Brandon. Stef and Lena picked up on it in no time. Brandon got up and went over to the sink, Stef and Lena looked to each other and agreed on the same thing. Lena walked over to Brandon whilst Stef stayed back, Lena was always more softer about warning one of the kids about something and Brandon had a tendency to say he was being ganged up on if they both went and spoke to him. Lena put her hand on his back “Hey”

Brandon gave her a tight smile and nodded “Hey”

“Brandon-”

“I already know what you’re going to say”

Lena sighed and glanced to Ivy “She’s been through a lot”

“Haven’t we all?”

“Hey” Lena said in a soft yet firm tone, raising her eyebrows to him and shaking her head “Don’t be like this, Brandon the last time you saw her you were eleven, we thought you would have done some growing up by now. She’s here to stay”

Brandon let out a brief sigh and shrugged “I’m sorry, look it’s a shock seeing her. I’ll do better I swear”

Lena rubbed his back and gave it a brief pat “Okay”

* * *

Ivy put her bag and case in Stef and Lena’s room as Stef came marching in with the deflated mattress in her hand and dropped it on the floor on her side of the bed, hooking it up to the electric pumper and turning it on. Ivy looked to Stef as she sat on the bed. With her hands on her hips, Ivy lightly kicked Stef’s foot and whispered “So what made you take in Callie and Jude?”

Ivy tucked her hair behind her ear as she looked down in her case and took out her pajamas out of it.

“I told you when we got them ”

“All you said was that you found two new kids and fell in love with them”

Stef shrugged and nodded “Yeah, that was basically it. They were only supposed to be here temporarily...but Jude, he’s the sweetest little boy we had ever come across”

“And Callie?”

Stef stared at Ivy and sat back on the bed tucking one leg under the other “Callie...was tough at first...but I soon saw someone in her”

“Oh yeah?” Ivy muttered as she walked to the bathroom “Who?”

Then hearing Stef call “You”

Ivy stopped unfolding her pajamas and looked up, she let out a small and surprised smile, walking back over and leaning against the door frame “Me?”

Stef nodded as she turned and looked to her “I saw so much of you in her that it made me instantly protective, I suppose because I didn’t want to lose her like I lost you” she shrugged.

Ivy looked to Stef with a faint and warm smile before looking down at the clothing in her hand and saying as she went to turn back inside the bathroom to get changed “Well, they seem like great kids”

“They are” Stef said, then turning the pump off and pressed her hand down on the mattress, it was blown up enough. She took the pump out and covered the mattress with a duvet. Stef sleeps with two pillow usually but she would sacrifice one of them for her. Ivy walked back out in her red and black checkered pants and a plain grey t-shirt. Looking down at the mattress she raised her eyebrows “Usually sleep with two”

“Yeah well so do I, I’m giving up one for you, my love” Stef muttered with a smile, then standing up from the bed “Well I’m going to go down to the kitchen, catch up on some work”

“Sorry I’ve been a distraction” Ivy mocked with a little smirk, then looked down to her bed “But I think I’m just gonna get some sleep, it’s been a long day” she stated as she stretched. It was now 10pm so it was a reasonable time to sleep.

Stef smiled, rubbing Ivy’s back “Okay love” she leaned forward and kissed her cheek, then pulling away and whispered “Sweet dreams, I love you”

“I love you too”

Stef walked over to the door frame and then turned, watching Ivy tie her hair up and let out a smile to herself, letting out a yawn and lying down on her temporary bed on the floor. Stef couldn’t help but just watch her settle. Like she felt the need to document every move she now made from this being her second chance at having her back. As cruel as it may sound she thought Kath would have to die before Ivy would ever be  _ truly  _ free. When Ivy was settled and seemed to have drifted to sleep. Stef took a step back and walked down the stairs with her joyful tears running down her face.

She grabbed her laptop, let the kettle boil and poured herself a cup of tea before settling in front of her screen. She wasn’t doing what she said she was doing, she was doing some digging. Ivy was being so vague about what happened, but Stef managed to get out of her which high school she attended.

Stef got on google and typed in the neighborhood the school was in, clue was in the name.

_ Tenderloin Community School.  _ So, Tenderloin. The information that came up made things pretty clear on how rough Ivy would have had it back there. 

_ “Tenderloin is a high-crime neighborhood, particularly violent street crime such as robbery and aggravated assault”  _ Stef let out a shaky breath as she scrolled down more and saw how the neighborhood was known for _ extortion, drug sales and murder _ . No place for a child. Which is all she was when she was put there. A child. Stef pressed her elbows on the table as she covered her mouth with her cupped hands as she stared at the screen. Shaking her head. Stef felt Lena rub her back as she came up behind her and looked over her wife’s shoulder to see what she was looking at.

“Oh honey, don’t torture yourself like this” Lena pleaded as she pressed her lips to Stef’s cheek “You’ll only drive yourself crazy”

“Have you seen this, Lena? Aggravated assault.  _ Murder _ ...there are people who have no choice but to live in these conditions but why on earth would you chose to live…” Stef sighed and dropped her head in her hands. Lena frowned and rested her head on Stef’s shoulder.

“It makes me think. Did she experience any assault? How close were we to losing her without knowing” Stef lifted her head back up and looked back to the screen “I hate my sister sometimes”

“ _ Sometimes _ . That’s kind” Lena muttered as she too lifted her head. Looking at the screen and reading a little bit of the information herself  _ “One of the highest rates of violence and drug activity in San Francisco”  _ Lena shook her head and shut the laptop “Don’t do this to yourself. I know it was hard-”

“Lena please” Stef sighed as she stood up from her seat and walked over to the counter by the chalkboard, shaking her head “It wasn’t  _ hard _ ...it destroyed me and you know that” She turned around to face her wife and leaned against the counter.

“I know, baby, I know” Lena said as she walked over “It was hard for us but it hit you harder, I know that”

Stef stretched her fingers out due to her stress and ran that palms of her hands over her head “I feel like something happened to her, she’s different”

“She’s different because she’s no longer sixteen” Lena rubbed Stef’s arms “Honey you’re overthinking it, she’s only just got back, let her settle, she’s probably nervous...coming back after all these years, to children who are now grown and to two more children that she doesn’t know”

Stef took a deep breath. Lena had a valid point, she was just overwhelmed and was trying to just make sense of everything that was going on. Stef looked into Lena’s loving eyes and nodded as she took a breath “I’m sorry”

“You don’t have to be sorry, honey, you’re just feeling a lot of emotions right now”

“That’s true”

“And what do you feel the most?”

Stef then let out a small smile as she got briefly lost in her thoughts and said in a whisper as she looked back to Lena “Happy”

Lena smiled and leaned forward, pressing her lips softly against Stef’s and hugging her. Stef and Lena pressed their forehead together, Lena cupped Stef’s face and whispered “It’s all gonna be back to normal now” 

“I hope so, baby” Stef whispered back and gave Lena another kiss.

They both sat down in the dining room with their coffees and began to discuss through what they were going to do about Ivy’s  _ living  _ arrangements.

When finally, Lena came up with an idea, one that she personally found rather genius “The garage!”

Stef raised her eyebrow as she swallowed her coffee, almost choking on it “The garage?”

“Yes! Well of course we’d clear all of this out and then we could just get stuff in, it’d be like her own space, she’s hitting twenty one, if her life remained here like we planned she would have gone off to college but it just didn’t happen”

“So you want to give her, her own dorm?” Stef lightly laughed as she placed the mug down on the table.

“No but, she can’t exactly bunk in with Brandon now can she”

“And Brandon is why I couldn’t help but laugh you are aware that he is going to go mad at the fact that we’d be giving her the garage considering that’s where his band practices”

“Yeah but y’know Mat has said many times that they can use his place  _ and  _ it’s either give her that or they share a room” Lena laugh at the sheer thought of it whilst Stef shook her head with a look of horror on her face. That would be beyond a nightmare. Stef put her hands on the back of her head and leaned back in her hair “Alright so, what do we do?”

Lena shrugged “We clear it all out entirely, then for now we just get her a bed and stuff”

Stef smirked. It was a good idea, one that would work and one that she knew Ivy would love and appreciate. Stef leaned forward again, closer to Lena’s face and muttered “You’re a genius Mrs Adams Foster” she smirked, giving her a quick kiss.

When it reached half ten, they both decided to call it a night and get up to bed. Suddenly feeling aware of the fact that they had a young woman sleeping on their bedroom floor. They got changed in silence in the bathroom. Then quietly sneaking their way over to the bed and sliding under the duvet. Stef and Lena couldn’t help but look over and look at Ivy sound asleep on the mattress, with a faint smile on her face as she hugged onto the pillow. Hey both let out their own smiles, Lena kissed Stef’s shoulder and rubbed her back as she lay back on the bed “Goodnight, honey”

“Goodnight, love” Stef whispered, with her eyes still on Ivy. She gently ran her fingers through Ivy’s blonde hair, sweeping it away from her face and then running her hand softly down her cheek.

Stef lowered her head down and sunk into her own pillow. With her eyes still on Ivy, she lowered her hand to beside Ivy’s that was raised to her shoulder. Stef closed her eyes to then feel Ivy take hold of her hand, their fingers entwining together, Stef opened her eyes to see that Ivy’s smile grew. As did hers, they didn’t say anything, they just remained sound asleep. 


	3. Chapter 3

Ivy was woken the next morning by different doors opening and closing from everyone already being up at 8:30am. She was so used to waking up to an empty apartment. Her mom was either working a morning shift at the diner or she and Dylan would crash at their friends to get drunk or high, some days it was like an empty apartment because they didn’t wake up till noon from being hammered. Again. It did take some getting used to at first since she spent every waking day at Stef and Lena's. 

Now this was something she had to get back getting used, which she would happily do. 

All she could hear was all the kids running around and arguing over the bathroom. It had gotten nosier than before. They were all teenagers now. She’ll have to get used to that. The only teenager that she had to deal with was herself. Stef and Lena though seemed to already be up and ready given the fact that the bathroom was clear. She grabbed some fresh clothes from her case and went into the bathroom to have a shower.

By 9am, Ivy dried off her wavy hair, slipping into her skinny denim jeans that ripped at the knee cap and a laced black vest that showed off the bottom of her midsection and a black and red flannel shirt that traveled down to just above her knees. With dark brown military boots.  

When she got downstairs, the kitchen certainly seemed busier and much more  _ chaotic _ . Ivy grabbed herself a cup of coffee as she was welcomed with smiles and took a seat beside Mariana. Looking at all the food laid in front of her she couldn’t help but laugh “I know I said years ago that you needed to cut back on the food but I take it all back”

Ivy reached out and grabbed herself a croissant.

“Different from San Fransisco?” Jesus said it with a little laugh. Ivy nodded with her eyebrows raised as she chewed down on it “Much. All I got was cold left over diner food”

Stef looked to Lena as she put the plate down on the table. A look as if to say  _ ‘Did you just hear that?’  _ and Ivy picked up on it by Stef’s expression still sticking to that when she looked at her. 

Ivy patted Stef’s hand and shook her head as she shrugged it off “Don’t worry, Aunt Stef, it’s no big deal. I got by”

Every inch of her wanted to bite back and slam Kath down even more than she had thought of doing before. It wasn’t Ivy’s job to get by or to take care of herself, she needed a parent to take care of her. She simply gave a little smile and nodded. Mariana made it her job to fill Ivy in on all the glorious things that had happened whilst Ivy had been gone.

But Ivy had questions of her own. She cleared her throat and remained quiet for a moment before then looking up and looking to Stef and Lena, almost too scared to ask but she still did so, in a quiet tone “Do you know if...if Nate still lives here?”

Stef and Lena looked to each other, it was only a matter of time before he was asked about. With a small smirk on her face, Stef looked to Ivy “He does”

“But not only that” Lena added “He also works at the school”

Ivy couldn’t help but choke on her breakfast goods, She pressed her hand against her mouth as she took a moment to clear her throat and widened her watery eyes for a moment due to her choking and then looking back to them in attempts to keep a cool tone “He’s working at Anchor Beach?”

Jesus then chimed in “Yeah. He’s Coach’s step son”

Ivy nodded “Yes I know that. And Nathan cannot stand him”

Jesus shrugged “Well he’s the Assistant Coach now”

Ivy found it rather amusing, she shook her head and laughed in a mutter “Ironic considering how much he hated school”

Jude raised his eyebrows, feeling like he was missing out on key information, as did Callie “How do you know Nate?”

Ivy heard a little giggle escape Mariana’s mouth from beside her, and before she had the chance to tell Jude, Mariana got in there even quicker “He’s Ivy’s boyfriend”

“ _ Ex _ boyfriend” Ivy corrected with the raise of an eyebrow. Mariana shrugged “Yeah but that’s only because you had to move away. You guys were totally in love”

Ivy let out a small smile as she looked down to her rubbing palms and nodded “I guess”

“Modest much” Stef muttered a she took a sip of her coffee. Ivy shook her head “What?”

“Ivy, you were asking me what we would think if you and Nate decided to get engaged as soon as you turned sixteen”

Ivy sighed as she bowed her head down hearing Mariana let out another excited gasp “Were you serious?”

Ivy shook her head “No-”

“Yes” Stef and Lena said in unison. Getting a glare from Ivy. But, she was pretty serious back then, they really did consider it. Too much  _ Boy Meets World  _ perhaps. Lena let out a light laugh as she gently shook Ivy’s shoulders “It was very sweet”

“And we said no” Stef said as she looked at the rest of the kids, telling them to never ask them such a thing.

Jesus, with a mouthful of toast said in a muffled voice “Weren't you guys together since you were like fourteen?”

“Thirteen” Ivy corrected with a smile.

Mariana rubbed her shoulders against Ivy’s as she teased “Think you’ll stop by the school and see him again?”

Ivy rolled her eyes with an amused look and stood up from the seat “We’re done with this conversation”

Ivy then heard Jesus say behind her “He does have a girlfriend, though”

Ivy looked up from the sink through the window for a moment and saw Callie slap his arm in the reflection. Well, she couldn’t be angry or even surprised. Nate was as Sharon would say _ ‘A Catch’  _ and obviously he’d be able to get a girl anytime he wanted. Ivy couldn’t help getting upset. He was all she knew for so long but they were apart for so long that she also felt like she didn’t have the right to be upset. 

Ivy turned and rested her hands behind her on the sink “Girlfriend?”

Jesus looked from Callie to Ivy, not exactly sure if he should say anymore. But Ivy looked at him in a way to say that she wanted him to tell him. He gulped his food down heavily “Erm her name’s Lauren. She’s my ex girlfriend’s sister”

Ivy crossed her arms and walked forward as she nodded “Right”

“I don’t think it’s serious” Jesus said in attempts to reassure, and then added with a smile “So I’m sure seeing you will make him have a change of heart”

Ivy laughed at his flattering remarks “Thank you, buddy but” she shrugged “It’s fine, we were friends first we can be friends again”

“Yeah that’ll last” Mariana sarcastically muttered as she bit a chunk of her cereal.

* * *

A little while after breakfast. Mariana and Callie were in their bedroom. Callie felt like she wanted to get to know Ivy better, yes she had heard about her before but she didn't  _ really  _ know what she was like. And if Ivy was here to stay, she didn't want to feel awkward around her. Since it seemed Mariana in a way idolized her cousin, she was a good source to learn from.

The two girls both sat facing each other with their legs crossed, laughing on Mariana's bed.

"So, erm...Ivy, I don't really know that much about her"

Mariana beamed "She's really great, you're gonna love her"

"I don't doubt, she seems great, and moms sister sounds like-"

"A waste of space?"

Callie nodded to Mariana's rather bitter description. Mariana sighed and lent her back against her headboard and placed her pillow on her lap, twiddling her thumbs as she rested both her hands on it.

"She used to yell at mom  _ all  _ the time, I can't really remember why, all I could hear was her screaming at mom, and mama trying to calm her down, I saw Ivy stood behind mom with her arms crossed looking down to the floor but looking so sad, mom used to beg Kath to stop screaming in front of Ivy but all she could say was how Kath was Ivy's mother and not Stef, she would grab Ivy's arm really hard and try to drag her out, Ivy would always hold on to Stef's hand really tight until she ha _ d to let go _ . Then she’d dump Ivy back the next day. It was only every few months but every time it was the same, it began to slack as Ivy got older and less naive _ " _

Callie bowed her head down also, just for a moment. She never thought the Fosters would have a dysfunctional background, she never thought it was at some point really rough for them.

"Sounds like a bad time?"

"It was, but the worst was when Kath came for Ivy  _ that  _ day, she hadn't visited for like two months, she turned up and said she was moving and at first Ivy thought nothing of it, Kath was a never a mother to her so why should she have cared, but then when she said Ivy was going with her it was a whole different story, it led to screaming...but not from Kath, from mom and mama this time...Brandon, Jesus and I all sneaked downstairs to see.  
Ivy was pushing Kath away saying that she wouldn't leave us, that we were her family and not Kath, but Kath said to moms that they had no parental rights over Ivy even though they raised her...this time Ivy had her arms clutched around mom's waist, mom was clutching onto Ivy whilst Mama with tears in her eyes begged Kath to let Ivy stay, but she ripped Ivy away from mom and had to literally throw her out the house, mom ran after them but it was too late  
Mama got her back inside the house and then she collapsed on the floor, screaming with tears, we saw her wrap her arms around herself and curled up to the floor, crying as mama held her, it destroyed her more than anyone...to be honest, we don’t think she was ever the same since. It’s why she can be so hard on us sometimes, because it’s her way of being protective through losing Ivy"

Callie was taken back drastically by the story that Mariana told about Ivy's last moments in the house. She noticed a tear fall from Mariana and shuffled closer to her to wipe them away gently with her thumb.

Mariana smiled weakly to not seem too upset to Callie.

"You guys have been through more than I thought, I'm sorry"

"Don't be sorry wasn't like it could be helped by either of us, mom wanted to fight but with the restraining order and no record of them having any parental rights it was a dead end-”

The door suddenly opened. Ivy stood still holding the door handle with a smile, Mariana quickly wiped her tears before Ivy had even noticed.

"Hey" Ivy said with a smile

"Hi" Callie replied also with a smile. Mariana then did the same. Ivy walked further inside the room and scanned around it.

"Wow, like what you've done with the place"

"This used to be Ivy's room, well we used to share"

"Yeah this was my side, used to be all bohemian and chilled whilst munchkins over there was all bright pink and barbie dolls lying everywhere"

Callie chuckled and looked at Mariana who was rolling her eyes from Ivy bringing up all embarrassing memories. Ivy walked closer over to Mariana and Callie, and asked what they were up to. Clearly both of them weren't planning on saying they were talking about one of Ivy's most traumatic memories.

So Callie came up with a subject.

"Just about Mariana's dance team"

Ivy whimpered a little laugh trying to keep a supporting face, she looked at Callie and Mariana and stopped laughing "Oh you're serious"

"Why does everyone say that?"

"I'm sorry all I can remember is a ten year old you doing the belly roll"

Callie burst out laughing again and chuckled "No way"

"That was five years ago" Mariana whined defending herself.

"You're right I'm sorry baby I'm sure you're brilliant" Ivy said with a mocking pout stroking Mariana's hair. Ivy was then pulled down on the bed as Mariana asked “What’re you going to do about Nate?”

Ivy let out an exhausted smile “What can I do? Tell him to dump his girlfriend so we can pick up where we left off?”

“Yes!” Mariana exclaimed “You were  _ so  _ perfect”

Ivy shrugged, not really knowing what to say other than stating things of the obvious “That was a really long time ago, Mari, his feelings may have changed”

“They shouldn’t” Mariana said as she raised her eyebrows. Ivy let out a laugh and swung her arm around her, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head. Callie looked to Ivy and said with a small nervous smile “Well, you can always see him on Monday”

Ivy looked to Callie “So I am dropping you guys off?” she laughed. 

Ivy took it as her duty to treat Callie like she had known her as long as the rest of the family had. She didn’t want her to feel like she had anything to prove or should be nervous, they were family after all despite never meeting before. Ivy’s take on treating Callie like an instant sister certainly made Callie feel a whole lot better. Callie laughed and simply shrugged.

* * *

Before she forgot and whisked off back to work. She was only going to go in for an hour or so just to check up on things and then go out with Ivy to get in some shopping for their idea of converting the garage, she didn’t bother dressing in her uniform she just dressed in her casual clothes. Stef decided to call Sharon, she was actually pretty surprised that she didn’t call again after Stef blew her off yesterday afternoon. Stef sat down at the kitchen table with her phone to her ear, waiting for her to pick up.

“Hey, mom”

_ “Well thank you for so urgently getting back to me, Stefanie” _

“Sorry, mom, I am but by you not calling me back I take it you were well aware that I was occupied by the evening”

Stef heard Sharon let out a relieved and happy sigh over the phone before saying  _ “She settled back in well?” _

“Like a dream”

_ “It’s been a long time coming. How’re you?” _

Stef suddenly beamed a smile “I’ve never been happier, mom”

_ “I’m so glad Stefanie. I take it she hasn’t heard from Kath” _

“Nope, wants nothing to do with her, quite frankly neither do I”

Stef knew that Sharon got upset deep down, because she was their mother and all she ever wanted for her daughters to love each other. It’s all any mother would want. But she knew Kath did the whole family wrong, including herself, and they were all better off without as a result.

_ “Well, it’s for the best. So! Where you putting her, can’t bunk her up with Brandon”  _ she said with a loud laugh at the end of her sentence. Stef huffed out an amused breath as she shook her head “No, we’re going to clear out the garage and  _ convert  _ it into her own space. With the limited money we have”

_ “Well…” _

Stef looked up from the table, knowing what that tone was meaning “Mom...what do you mean by  _ well _ ?”

_ “Remember that money your dad left?” _

Stef sat up straight and took in a deep breath “Uh huh…”

_ “Well Frank left money for Ivy too” _

Stef’s eyebrows pinched together, she always was confused why there was never any mention of Frank leaving money to Ivy, they were close. Eventually closer than Stef even was with him.

“Mom!”

_ “There was nothing I could do! You know that Kath would have took it all away from her and throughout all the paperwork that would have to of been done there’s no way Ivy could have gotten away with contacting us so I kept it safe” _

Well, she had a point there, for once Stef agreed with a point that Sharon was making. And by her silence, Sharon knew she had Stef on her side  _ “Well, I’ve never heard you so quiet” _

“Sorry mom I just. A little shocked. Do you think-”

_ “I’ll transfer it all into your account to cash out, or if Ivy has an account you can transfer it to her” _

“Thank you, mom, I’ll pass it on to Ivy and I’m sure she’ll call you when we get home”

_ “Anytime love, I’ll talk to you soon, I love you” _

“Okay, love you too”

Ivy came down the stairs as Stef hung up the phone and saw her overwhelmed face. Ivy walked over to her, with a hint of concern written across her face, she put her hand on Stef’s back “You okay?”

“Hm? Stef looked up “Oh yeah love, I’m fine. Listen. Your Aunt Lena told you about  the whole garage thing”

“Yeah! I appreciate you doing that, Brandon won’t be too pleased”

“Well he’s just going to have to deal with it” Stef shrugged as she stood up from the seat, facing Ivy she said as she tucked a strand of Ivy’s hair behind her ear “Ready?”

“I am” Ivy nodded, then saying with a light laugh “Been awhile since I’ve been to a  _ bring your kid to work _ day”

“Yeah. You were eleven and harassing me for money for the vending machine”

“Oh that’s still gonna be the case this time” Ivy teased as she pushed Stef forward towards the door.

* * *

When Ivy was little, she was easily amused by everything in the police station. She felt like she was in some movie. But now at the age of twenty. Not so much. She just sat on the other side of Stef’s desk and leaned back in her chair. Stef looked up at her and took off her glasses “We’ll get out of her as quick as I can”

“It’s fine”

“Where’d you fancy going out for lunch?” Stef asked as she looked back to her computer screen. Ivy shrugged “How about _ Bernie’s Burger Shack _ , the one by the beach”  

Stef shrugged “Sure, whatever you wish, love”

Ivy shot her a smile and then glanced over to someone in the corner of her eyes, she grinned and stood up, walking over to him. Stef looked at her with confusion and then let out a smile of her own as she soon understood.

“Jeez, you’ve gotten even more grey”

Mike turned around and found himself stunned as he saw the young woman stood in front of him “Ivy?”

“Hey Uncle Mike” Ivy smiled as she opened her arms and wrapped them around his body as he let out a surprised chuckle, wrapped his arms around her and lifting her up off of her feet ever so slightly “Oh my god” he lowered her back and said with a happily shocked faced “When did you get back here?”

“Last night. Yeah. Kath and Dylan took off and I didn’t even hesitate”

“Wow, this is great” Mike said letting out another chuckle and bringing her in for another hug, then getting another good look at her “Look at you, you grew up even more beautiful, bear. Look just like Stef”

“Aw, you think I’m beautiful?” Stef teased as she walked up behind them. Mike rolled his eyes and shook his head as Ivy let out a laugh “Listen, you’re on rookie duty today” Stef added on “I’m taking the day off to spend it with Ivy”

Mike put his hands on his hips and nodded “Alright” he looked to Ivy “Seen as though it’s you”

“Thanks” Ivy smirked as she crossed her arms. Stef rubbed her back as she said “Alright let’s go”

Mike leaned over to Ivy again and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek “I’ll see you soon”

Ivy shot him another smile before walking ahead to outside the station, Mike halted Stef for a brief moment and smiled, he didn’t say anything, he just smiled. Mike was there, helping Stef raise Ivy for the five years that they were together, he cared for her and was a father figure throughout her whole life, no matter how distant he may have become due to the slight bumps in the road. Stef rubbed her arm and gave back the same warm expression before following Ivy out.

* * *

Stef pulled the car up by the burger shack and walked to it. The pair of them sat down at the table, right beside the beach and ordered their drinks and food. Ivy folded her arms and leaned down on the table “So you seemed to have patched things up with, Uncle Mike”

“What’re you talking about?”

“Uncle Mike and Aunt Lena _ last time  _ I was here did not exactly get along which led you and Uncle Mike not getting along”

It wasn’t false, Stef knew how bad the relationship became with Mike. He became bitter through his heartbreak of Stef leaving, it led him to drink and argue, through no fault of Stef or even his own. It was just an unfortunate situation that was hard for everyone involved. Ivy and Brandon included, they were just kids in all of this.

“Well, it is better now, a lot better, Mike and Lena are getting along and he’s back in Brandon’s life more than ever”

“Good” Ivy nodded, she then let out a long shrug and asked with a sudden shake in her voice “Are you okay?”

Stef tilted her head, not exactly following “ _ Am I okay? _ ”

Ivy nodded and made herself clear as she gripped onto the end of her sleeve through her nerves and emotions “When you got shot...I know it was a while but i wasn’t here and when Aunt Lena text me I was so scared and...I guess I just need to hear you say that you are okay now, physically and emotionally”

Stef sighed and reached her hand over the table and gripped onto hers, letting out a soft and comforting smile “I promise you I’m fine, love, I wasn’t critical-”

“A bullet is a bullet” Ivy said in a dry whisper.

“I know. And I know how scary it must have been for you to hear that and not being able to be here, but what I am trying to say is that it was not critical, I recovered quickly... _ mentally and physically _ ”

“I begged Kath to let me see you, I said that she could have brought me and just let me see you, I would have gone back with her”

Stef rubbed Ivy’s hand with her thumb “Like selling your soul”

Ivy let out a brief breathless laugh “Something like that”

Stef then took hold of her other hand and made Ivy look into her eyes “You listen to me, you do not have to feel guilty out missing out on anything. No me getting shot, not the wedding not…”

Ivy knew what was on the tip of Stef’s tongue and finished it off for her with her eyebrows raised “Not gramps?”

Stef kept her eyes on her for a moment and looked down at the table as she muttered “Yeah” she cleared her throat and asked “What happened with that?”

Ivy slid her hands out of Stef’s as she sat up straight and rested her chin in her hand “Well, Kath didn’t care to put it blunt”

_ Ivy hung up the phone, she wasn’t able to even speak to Stef she got so choked up. Phone calls were rare in case Kath or Dylan heard. But considering her grandfather had died. It seemed appropriate. Ivy heard Kath and Dylan come through the front door. With tears running down her cheeks, she took a deep breath and placed the phone on her desk and opened her bedroom door to the tiny living room. _

_ Kath looked up from rolling up a cigarette “What’s with you?” _

_ Ivy crossed her arms as her tears ran down her cheeks. Kath’s eyebrows pinched together and tilted her head “What is it?” _

_ Ivy took a deep breath and closed her eyes “Grandpa’s dead” she opened her eyes to see the lack of emotion or remorse on Kath’s face, if anything she seemed disappointed thinking it was something that would have a bigger effect on her.   _

_ “Oh” she said bluntly, then looking back down to rolling her cigarette. Ivy glanced to Dylan, who just looked at her with a shrug.  _

_ “Oh?” Ivy said as she looked back to Kath “That’s all you have to say?” _

_ “What do you want me to do?” _

_ Ivy scoffed “Cry, frown, show a little bit of upset or remorse” _

_ Kath sat back on the couch and put the cigarette between her fingers as she prepared to light it “Why would I ‘cry, frown’ or ‘show a little bit of upset or remorse’ to a man who always valued my sister over me” _

_ “Perhaps because your sister was more of a mother to me than you ever were or are” _

_ Kath went to stand up before Dylan grabbed her arm and kept her down. Dylan was many things, but he was not for violence against kids. Because that’s all Ivy was. A kid. Nineteen years old but a kid none the less. Kath would strike Ivy now and then, and he never approved and tried to stop it when he could. _

_ Ivy shook her head “I want to go to the funeral” _

_ “You’re kidding me? And how did you even find out? Has she been in contact with you!” _

_ “I had a right to know!” Ivy said with tears running down her cheeks, she sat on the coffee table, facing Kath, pressing the palm of her hands together, a pleading look on her face _

_ “You weren’t close...but he’s my grandfather, and before you brought me here I saw him nearly everyday. Look if you just take me, let me say goodbye...I won’t even try to stay with Stef or Lena, I’ll come home with you” _

_ Kath leaned forward and blew a puff of smoke in the direction of Ivy’s face “You’re telling me, you’ll see Stef and her happy little family and you won’t want to go back?” _

_ “Of course I’ll want to go back...but I won’t. Just let me say goodbye” _

_ Dylan looked to Kath but remained silent. Kath inhaled another taste of her nicotine, she shrugged and shook her head “No way in hell. No” _

_ Ivy bit her lip due to sheer anger, and bowed her head down. She couldn’t do anything, her car wasn’t fixed up. They hide all money from her so busses were out of the question and it’s hard to get a job when you have these two as ‘parents’ like these two who don’t let you lead your own life.   _

_ Ivy hitched her breath and shook her head as she stood up. She looked down at their open bags of both tobacco and marijuana and flipped them both on the floor. Leading her to close and locked her bedroom door with Kath screaming at her.  _

It made Stef feel sick. And made her want to cry. That was just a mild form of emotional and almost physical abuse that Ivy went through. Ivy shrugged “I tried”

“We never doubted that, honey”

Ivy covered her mouth as she eyebrows pinched together through her emotions building up “Did you find him?”

Stef’s breath shuddered, she rubbed her lips together and looked into Ivy’s eyes once again “Yeah”

“Did they say if he was in pain?”

Stef shook her head “No, baby, he went in his sleep...something about a clot in his heart”

Ivy bowed her head down, with her palms pressed against her forehead “I wish I could’ve just seen him”

Stef reached her hand out again and rubbed her arm “I know, I wish I could have patched things up with him before he…”

Ivy took hold of Stef’s hand as she dropped her hand down, sniffling up through her tears. Ivy shook her head and let out a breathless laugh “You were both too stubborn” 

Stef chuckled and nodded “You’re right there”

Ivy wiped her wet cheeks with her free hand and looked away as she regained her composure. She ran her fingers through her hair and looked around. Stef stared at her as she looked around her surrounding “Ivy, did you ask to come here for a significant reason?”

Ivy turned her head back to Stef and went to answer back, but Stef added on before she had the chance “This is the place you used to come with Nate? You took a chance thinking he’d be here”

Ivy stared at her “Jeez what are you an expert in psychology?"

“I’m just an expert with you”

Ivy frowned and shrugged “I just want to see him”

“I’m sure you will” Stef said with a faint smile “Soon enough, you will...are you still in love with him?” Ivy gulped heavily and shrugged, with an amused little smile to shield her emotions rising up again “I’m in love with the boy I was with for three years. But times have changed and he probably has. I know I have”

She looked down and took hold of a fry to place in her mouth. Stef watched her to do so which Ivy picked up on “You’re staring”

“I know” Stef muttered.

“Why?” Ivy smiled as she looked up to her.

Stef lightly shook her head as she continued to gaze at the young woman “You’re just….” she squeezed Ivy’s hand “My beautiful little girl, now a beautiful young woman it’s surreal”

Ivy grinned, chewing on her fry with a closed mouth she looked out to the beach again and then back to Stef with an idea on her mind, she stood up to Stef’s confusion and held out her hand for Stef to take “Let’s go for a walk, like the good old days”

Stef smiled and nodded as she took Ivy’s hand. Leaving the money for the food on the table and walking down the steps onto the beach. Stef threw her arm over Ivy’s shoulder and held her close, kissing the top of her head and pressing her head against hers “I love you baby”

“I love you too”

Stef lifted her head as she felt her phone vibrate in back pocket. She looked down and saw a text from Sharon.

**All done! $30,000 smackers. Money money money! X**

Stef let out a brief amused laugh and then cleared her throat “So, I need to tell you something”

“Uh-oh. You’ve been straight all along”

“No, definitely not” Stef said with a loud laugh “No it’s just, I called Grams today and she let me in on a little secret. Gramps left you some money. Quite a bit actually” Ivy took a step in front of her, with their hands still linked and stared at her “How much is quite a bit”

Stef rubbed her lips together “Thirty thousand”

Ivy’s eyes widened, her heart dropped, was she mishearing this?

“Thir...are you sure?” 

“Very. He left the same amount to the kids and they’ve gone into college accounts but…”

“But I never had a shot at college, right?” Ivy said with a small laugh. Stef didn’t want to say it, but Ivy got the hint. But then again, college isn’t for everyone. Even though she would loved to have gone. But given the school she had to attend wasn’t exactly the best in education. Ivy was smart and had ambition but the way her school was run made it impossible to understand all the _ book smart  _ education.

Ivy kept her smile on her face to show her it was okay and it was no skin off her nose. 

“I suppose I’d rather use that money to rebuild my life here”

Stef nodded and rocked their hands back and forth “So what do you say that we take this walk on the beach back round to the car and we go shopping for you, for an actual bed”

Ivy grinned and pulled Stef back over to her with an excited squeak “Yes lets!”

They both laughed as they carried on walking. 

It was Ivy who then felt a buzz go off on her phone. She looked down at the old thing and saw a text from some that made her skin crawl.

**Where are you? I stopped by your place. You better not have left town. Just answer me.**

Ivy let out a subtle deep breath and said as she tucked her phone back in her pocket “I don’t suppose a new phone could come out of this thirty thousand dollars”

Stef looked up at her hopeful face and smiled as she rubbed her back “Can’t see why not”

Ivy nodded and put on a smile as she let out a sigh of relief and carried on walking down the beach with the most important person in her life.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Four days later._ **

It was Sunday, and the family had all been pitching in to clear out the garage to transfer it to Ivy’s room. Ivy knew Brandon was secretly pissed deep down. But this wasn’t her idea, it wasn’t as if she walked in and claimed it. Although he’d probably be feeling like she did. He was certainly acting like it.

They had hardly spoke to each other. Despite what he told Stef and Lena. He was not trying. Stef and Ivy went shopping and bought things for the room. The double mattress was the first thing they got, it arrived from delivery yesterday and they were able to clear enough stuff out to have the bed fitted in. So she may have still been surrounded by crap but at least she had her own bed. In the back they had a bathroom that just had a toilet and a bath with a shower head in it, along with a sink of course. That was put in months ago due to the request of Brandon for when he had to work up all night and the band didn’t like having to barge in and out the house to use the bathroom. The shower was just purely because it came in on a sale.

Along with the bed, they purchased a TV and a new phone with a  _ new  _ number. Which was the best thing about getting one. Gone was the old Nokia and in was the iphone 6. Everything was fine, but there was one thing that Ivy was worried about.

“I am not going to get a job” Ivy sighed, shaking her head “It’s just not going to happen”

“What about your SAT scores?” Lena questioned as Ivy paced up and down the living room with her hands on her hips. Ivy shook her head and shrugged “They’re good but they aren’t enough to get a stable job to help pull my weight around here and  _ don’t  _ say that I don’t have to, I want to. After I was pulled out of Anchor beach the whole school thing just went down hill...”

Lena sighed and patted the sofa “Come here, honey”

Ivy took a deep breath and walked over to the couch, dropping herself down next to Lena and slouching back, she remained silent for a moment “I don’t want to get some crappy job in a scummy diner. I don’t want to be like Kath. Which is what I would be like”

“That’s not true, Ivy, Katherine spent all her money on alcohol and drugs as you’ve explained, you would be working for things so much better”

Ivy looked to Lena as she rested her arm on the end of the sofa “I appreciate your advice. But be real with me, you wouldn’t want this either. I want to do something I love but…”

“Writing is still what you love?” Lena questioned. Ivy drew circles on the sofa arm with her finger and nodded as she glanced to Lena and whispered “Yeah”

Lena thought for a moment. She remembered reading the stories that Ivy would write for Mariana and Jesus, ones where she put them in situations like Jesus being in Star Wars or Mariana being under the sea with The Little Mermaid. They were good. Really good. And if anything she would have gotten even better with age and experience. She mentioned that she was writing something now but kept it a secret until it was done. Lena rubbed the palm of her hands together and then had an idea “Come to the school tomorrow”

 

Ivy’s eyebrows pinched together as she looked back to Lena “I mean, I’m dropping the kids off. Apart from Brandon because he can  _ drive his own damn car _ as he said so sweetly”

“Yes but what I mean is drop by my office, we can talk about this better there. I have someone at the school who can help us out with this”

Ivy didn’t exactly follow. Lena was being very vague but if there was thing she knew about Lena, it was that you could trust her with your life. Ivy shrugged and just went with it, quite frankly she was so tired from all the heavy lifting they had been doing all day from the garage that she was just about go along with anything right now. Ivy put her hand on Lena’s leg briefly as she said “Thanks Aunt Lena”

“Anything for you, my love”

Ivy smiled when she heard a loud slam come from the back door. Lena and Ivy looked over and saw Brandon storm upstairs with Stef calling him to get back down but was ignored. Stef stood at the bottom of the stairs with her hands on her hips and letting out a frustrated deep breath.

“Babe? Is everything okay?”

Stef walked down to the living room and said in an exhausted tone “He’s just having one of his little outbursts”

“About me?” Ivy said with her arms crossed. Stef just looked at her in a way to yes but also saying that she didn’t want Ivy to take it personally. Ivy, with her arms still crossed let out a muttered stiff laugh and stomped her feet as she she stood up and dropped her arms back down to her side, she said nothing and just walked towards the stairs.

Stef turned and watched her walk up the stairs. She would stop her but then again, Brandon kind of needed a kick up the ass. And who better to give it to him than the girl he’s holding an immature grudge against. Stef turned to Lena and raised her eyebrows to her as she walked over and sat beside her, leaning her head on her shoulder “Good job I keep that gun locked up”

Lena giggled and leaned her head against Stef’s.

* * *

Ivy knocked on Brandon’s door and slowly opened it to see him sat at his desk, on his laptop. Brandon glanced to her as she said “I come in peace”

Ivy walked in the room to his silence and walked over to him, she tilted his head and looked at him as his eyes stayed locked to his screen. Ivy crossed her arm and rested her chin in her right hand as she tried to gather on what to say. Ivy cleared her throat and rubbed her lips together as she dropped her hand back to her arm. 

“Brandon, it’s been five years, what the hell could still be wrong?”

Brandon shrugged and muttered “Nothing”

Ivy rolled her eyes and scoffed, she walked over and sat on the bed. Keeping her eyes on him, she then looked down to her rubbing palms “I don’t mean to make things difficult for you, B, but you haven’t spoke to me in the whole four days I’ve been here”

“That’s not true”

“I don’t even think I can string together a single sentence that you’ve said to me”

Brandon spun around in his chair and let out a shrug “You’ve got Jesus and Mariana to having a talk with, Callie and Jude seemed to have taken a shine to you as well”

Ivy shrugged “Then what’s  _ your  _ problem? I don’t want anyone to think the sun shines from my ass but I would at least like to have common  _ family  _ ground with you”

Brandon shook his head and looked away, Ivy leaned forward to catch his eyes again “What?”

“You are always the golden child, you know that? Everyone else thinks it’s me but it’s always you. Mom has always got you as some pedestal. We haven’t seen you in five years, we don’t know what you’ve been getting up to and what? Welcome you back with open arms with no questions asked”

“You want questions? Fire away”

Brandon stared at her and raised his eyebrows to her “Did you break the law back in San Francisco”

Ivy licked her bottom lip and bowed her head, letting out a shrug, she nodded as she looked back up to him and admitted wholeheartedly “Yes”

“Like what?”

“I’m not going into full detail with you. What I did was not extreme, it was things I had to do because of my situation. It’s not as if your track record with the law has been so hot with the fake ID’s” Brandon went to ask how she knew, but Ivy jumped ahead and answered before the question was even asked “Stef tells me everything”  

“Which adds to my point”

Ivy shrugged and kept her tone polite and gentle “You’re forgetting I’m an adult, we have adult conversations, and that’s hard for everyone to do with you when you do things such as storming off and locking yourself in your room when things don’t go your way”

“You don’t know anything about me! Alright? You’ve been gone for five years, you’re hardly even in this family anymore. You’re being welcomed with open arms because you’re something that mom always wanted but could never really have” Brandon snapped, then sitting back in his chair and turning back around to face his laptop screen.

Ivy clutched her hands together and looked back down to her hands, shaking her head. She let out a brief angry laugh before standing up and walking over to the door, half of her wanted to snap back because she could tear him down but she wasn’t going to stoop to his level, she wasn’t going to go personal like he just did.

As Ivy opened the door, she opened it to see Stef on the other side, who was just about to open the door herself. Stef saw the look on Ivy’s face “You alright?”

“Perfect” Ivy sighed bitterly and walked past Stef to downstairs. Stef watched Ivy storm off and turned to Brandon, she pointed to the stairs “What was that about?”

Brandon said nothing and just sighed.

Stef stepped inside the room and slammed the door shut, slapping the palms of her hands together and clutching to them “Okay, Brandon please explain what your problem is with Ivy. Please because I really don’t get it”

“Of course you don’t because it has to be me that has caused the problem it can’t be her” Brandon muttered.

“I know for a fact that Ivy would never start any kind of conflict with you”

“Because she’s the one you love most, I get it” Brandon scoffed as he shook his head “The one you couldn’t have”

Stef hitched her breath as she stared at him “Please tell me you didn’t say that to her”

Brandon looked to Stef and shrugged “What does it matter?”

Stef sighed and sat down on the bed, taking a deep breath and wedging her hands in between her closed legs, with her eyes closed she shook her head and then said as she looked to him “Do you understand how much things like that can affect people? It’s like saying to Jesus, Mariana, Callie or Jude that they aren’t your real siblings or they aren’t our real children. Saying I could never have her makes her feel abandoned Brandon, don’t you get that? Ivy spent sixteen years in my care, thinking I did have her, for good. And it doesn’t just hurt her it hurts me too when you say things like that”

Brandon then looked down to his hands, feeling pretty guilty. He kept his eyes locked on his hands till he heard Stef say “You know she puts her first a hell a lot of the time”

Brandon looked at her and saw how honest she was being by the expression on her face “When I first found out I was pregnant with you, Ivy began to pack a bag. Not because she was rebelling. Not because she was angry. But because she thought I’d have to send her back to Katherine to make room for you, and she was preparing herself to go. She didn’t kick or scream she did it by herself”

_ Mike came home from work earlier than usual. Stef had to take the day off due to Ivy’s kindergarten having to close for the day due to a gas leak. He took an earlier shift in order to spend some time with them. _

_ Stef heard him come through the door and quickly made her way out of her bedroom as Ivy, last time she checked, was taking a nap in her room. Mike smiled as she walked over “Hi!”  _

_ He noticed that her smile was beaming more than ever, Mike tilted his head and shrugged “What’s with the smile?” _

_ Stef linked her hands together and raised her eyebrows “Remember how I said I have been feeling a little off, lately?” _

_ “Yeah? Didn’t think that’d make you grin” Mike said with a light laugh as he put his badge in the bowl with the keys. _

_ “I’m smiling because there’s a big reason as to why I felt sick” _

_ Mike looked up at her, already feeling like he knew what the answer was, he raised his eyebrows to her with a small smile “Are you...are we?....” _

_ Stef nodded and finished his sentence “Pregnant” _

_ Mike’s jaw dropped to a grin, he let out a breathless overwhelmed laugh and pulled her close for a tight hug “Oh my god! Stef that’s incredible” he pulled her back and gave her a quick kiss “When did you-” _

_ “This morning, I bought some tests last night and...I checked over and over again and it just kept coming back positive” _

_ Mike still had a disbelieved look on his face and couldn’t shake his smile as he looked down to her stomach, he then looked back to her and asked “Did you tell Ivy?” _

_ Stef shook her head “No, no I’m waiting for the right time” _

_ They then heard the floor creek, Mike looked over Stef’s shoulder as she turned and saw Ivy stare at them. _

_ Stef sighed and went to walk over to her “Ivy, love, I’m sorry I didn’t want you to find out this way” Ivy ran back down the hall and into her room.  _

_ Stef shut her eyes for a moment and put her hands on her hips, she stared at Ivy’s door and turned to Mike, putting her arm on his chest she whispered “I’m sorry, give me just a few minutes with her” _

_ “Sure, I’ll wait out here” _

_ Stef gave him a tight smile and made her way down the hall. She slowly opened the door to see the four year old putting clothes into a bag. Stef opened the door all the way and stepped into the room “Bear, what are you doing?” _

_ Ivy turned to her and looked back to her bag “Packing” _

_ Stef shut the door behind her and walked over to the bed, sitting down on it, facing Ivy she looked at her as the little girl refused to make eye contact for the time being. _

_ “Why are you packing a bag, baby?”  _

_ Ivy shrugged and weakly muttered “Because you’re going to send me back to my mom” _

_ Stef’s heart dropped, she put her hand on the back of Ivy’s head which caused her to make eye contact “Now why would you think that?” _

_ “Cause you and Uncle Mike are having a baby. You won’t have time for me. You need to make room” _

_ Stef rubbed her lips together as she stared to Ivy, she looked at the back. Ivy had packed two t-shirts and a pair of jeans along with her action men who she always preferred over barbies. Stef pushed the bag to the side and lifted Ivy onto her lap. Stef rested her head on Ivy’s shoulder for a moment to then go on and say “I will always have time for you. You’re my little girl, no matter what anyone says. And just because Uncle Mike and I are having a baby will never change the way I feel about you. I promise” _

_ As Stef softly rocked Ivy back and forth, Ivy stared at the corner of her room and said “I will go if you want” _

_ Stef kissed Ivy’s cheek as she felt herself getting emotional. Emotional that Ivy would think like this at such a young age, it just makes her realise all the low expectations she hold of life in her mind due to her situation. With her lips still to Ivy’s cheeks she said “I would not give you up for the world” _

_ Stef pulled her head back as she brushed Ivy’s hair with her fingers to rest behind her ears which caused Ivy to look at her and said “I swear, baby, you’re wanted and you have me. Always okay?” _

_ Ivy took her big brown eyes to Stef and weakly nodded as she muttered “Okay” _

_ “You gonna give me a hug?” Stef asked with a small smile which passed on to Ivy’s face as she took formed a loving smile and wrapped her arms around Stef’s neck as she hugged her tightly, Stef closed her eyes and she wrapped her arms tightly around the little girl’s waist and whispered “This baby is going to be a good thing, think of it as having a little brother or sister” _

_ “Brother. Then I can get more action men instead of any barbies” _

_ Stef giggled and pressed her forehead against Ivy’s. _

Brandon remained silent. Feeling a little stupid. Stef let out a small  _ I told you so  _ smile and shrugged as she stood up “So, B, she always wanted to put you first from the moment she found out about you. Don’t divide yourself from your family”

Stef stood up and reached over to him, squeezing his shoulder to show that she wasn’t trying to be harsh and gave him that story out of love and looking out for him. If he goes against Ivy then he has no chance in living in peace with the rest of the kids. Especially Jesus. Brandon gave her a tight smile and turned to his computer as Stef walked out of the room, letting him think about the things she had just said.

Stef walked downstairs into the kitchen, finding Ivy with Lena, pouring them both a cup of coffee. Ivy looked up to Stef and smiled to her “Hey, you want a cup?”

“That’d be nice, thanks love” Stef slid her hands in her back jean pockets and walked over to them. She knew that Ivy was trying to block out the awkward air through what just happened, she knew full well that Stef knew what Brandon said “Listen, about what he said-”

“Forget it, it’s fine” Ivy shrugged “I know I always had you”

Stef smiled to her as Ivy looked back down and poured Stef a cup, Stef’s eyes traveled to Lena who gave her a little wink and a smile. Ivy slid over the cup for Stef and the three women stood together, soaking up each other’s company as they had a drink.

Jesus then came through the door from the garden and looked at them all in amazement “Where have you guys been! We need help out here”

They almost forgot about the slave labor they had set for the kids outside, they all laugh and began to walk out one by one with their drinks in their hand, Ivy lightly slapped the peak of Jesus’s cap before pushing him back outside to the garden.

* * *

As she was clearing up the garage, Ivy was distracted in staying focused on what to throw out whilst the family was in a discussion. Brandon came back down about fifteen minutes after him and Ivy’s brief confrontation, he merely muttered her an apology before jumping back into helping. 

Ivy was soon brought into the conversation as Mariana dragged her into it “You’re coming, right Ivy?”

Ivy looked up and stared at all the eyes being on her, she slowly nodded “Yes...yeah sure…” she looked to Stef who had an amused smirk on her face, knowing that Ivy didn’t have a clue. Ivy shrugged and added “To what?”

“Jesus’s wrestling match tomorrow” Callie clarified as she slapped her hand on her brother’s shoulder before looking down at the box she was packing.

“You have a wrestling match on the first day back?” Ivy said a little surprised. All the wrestling matches she went to in support of Nate and her other best friend Milo, they never had them on the first day back.

“Yeah we it’s kind of a practice match just to get us warmed up for our future game, but people come and watch” Jesus shrugged.

“Oh” Ivy nodded quickly catched on, she walked over to him and patted his chest “Well I’m there, bud”

“Nate will be there” Mariana subtly whispered as she past Ivy. Ivy smirked and pushed her a little “Quiet” 

“He will be though” Jesus muttered with a smirk. Ivy put her hand on her hip and rubbed her forehead as she let out a sighing smile, looking down to the floor. Ivy threw her head back to the ceiling and then looked to Jesus “Don’t tell him”

“You want to surprise him” Jesus teased.

“He loves surprises” Ivy whispered as she lightly punched Jesus’s shoulder and went back to her area and carried on cleaning. She was soon joined by Stef standing beside her “Do I have to warn you, babe?”

Ivy looked to Stef and scoffed a laugh “About?”

Stef shrugged as she put her hands on her hips “He has a girlfriend”

Ivy looked away from Stef and took a deep breath, tucking her hair behind her ear to try and avoid eye contact during this discussion, she nodded and sighed “Yeah I know” she cleared her throat and lifted her head back up “But you know we were friends before we got together”

“I know, I know. Since you were six...but you're not six anymore and you...you were in love for a long time”

“So what? You think I’m not going to be considerate to his girlfriend. Thought you raised me better than that”

Stef let out a small laugh and shook her head, rubbing Ivy’s back as the twenty year old leaned down and put the vase in her hand in the box she then said “No I know that you will be considerate, but you were his first love and...I’m just saying be careful, I don’t want you getting hurt”

“It’s wrestling” Ivy laughed breathlessly, leaning down again and standing back up as she held the full box in her hands “It’s not like it’s a blind date or anything” she patted Stef’s back as she walked over to drop the box off with all the others that are being relocated to the attic. Ivy then looked to the boxes of the attic and sprung on idea.

“Hey I’ll take some of these up” Ivy said as she crouched down, putting one large box on top of the other and picked them up, she walked into the house, up the stairs and brought for the stairs for the attic. Ivy climbed up with a box at a time. She pushed the box in and when she got to the top, she sat up on the edge and looked around, her idea wasn’t so stupid. Ivy looked to the rest of the boxes that were brought up, just scattered about.

Ivy got up and stepped in the attic. It was a good height, no risk of you hitting your head that much unless you were any more than 6’5. Which no one in this house was. Ivy pushed all the boxes into one corner of the attic, she brought the second one up and placed it with the others. Then on with her idea.

* * *

A little while later, Ivy was in Jesus’s bedroom, playing a game of Mortal Kombat. Ivy shook her head and laughed as she played the game and said “You still suck”

“Do not”

“It was worth every time moms yelled at me for letting you play this I at least thought you’d pay me back by improving to actually be a challenge” Ivy teased, nudging him with her shoulder, he chuckled and shook his head as he watched Ivy’s character rip off his character's head. Jesus sighed and sat back as he dropped his controller on the bed, lying back and dropping his hands on his head. All of a sudden, the pair heard Brandon yell from his room. He burst into Jesus’s room and said “Who the hell touched my keyboard?”

“That would be me” Ivy said as she raised her hand.

Brandon scoffed “What’d you do? Hide it? Payback for what I said?”

Jesus sat back up on the bed and asked sternly “What did you say?”

Ivy put her hand up to Jesus telling him to leave it then pointed up “It’s upstairs go see for yourself”

“See what?”

“Just go” Ivy said as she motioned her hand to upstairs. Brandon, confused at first but he did as she asked, he dragged the stairs down and climbed up. What he saw surprised him. Brandon saw that Ivy had set up his music gear just how it was set up in the garage. She was smarter than him it seems because he sure as hell didn’t think of this. Brandon shook his head and bowed it down, he felt even more like an ass.

Ivy heard Brandon step back down the stairs, she didn’t want to look smug but she was feeling it. Brandon walked back to the door and leaned against the frame, his hands pressed together, he looked to Ivy and nodded with a tight smile “Thanks”

Ivy shrugged “This mean you’ll stopped pissed at me?”

Brandon pushed himself up from the door frame and raised his eyebrows as he walked away “Till next time”

Ivy rolled her eyes and laughed as she looked to Jesus and nudged him again before grabbing the controller again “Come on, round two of me beating your ass”

"Okay but after that we're playing mortal kombat again"

Ivy laughed and then scrunched her face up as she cringed "Gross"

* * *

Later on that night, when all the kids had gone off to bed for their first day back at school. Ivy was in her new room, going through the last few things to throw out with Stef as Lena also had a case of school tomorrow. 

“Brandon told me what you did for him” Stef said as she took things off of the shelves and turned to Ivy, looking at her slightly embarrassed expression at being made to look like a sap. Stef smiled and said “It was nice”

“Yeah well, it’ll shut him up for now right”

With a faint smile on her face, Stef raised her eyebrows to Ivy as she threw over the junk in the trash bag “Honey, he’s not some brat-”

“Really? Don’t get me wrong no matter what he says to me I love him but not a brat? After everything you’ve told me...forgive me if I disagree for now”

Stef looked down at the dusty photo frame and took what Ivy said into account, she couldn’t exactly argue, if it was Jenna telling her these type of stories about her son then she’d probably think he was a brat too. Stef wiped the dust away and let out a small laugh as she saw the now clear picture “Well what do we have here”

Ivy looked up as Stef walked over with her in the photo frame, turning it around and showing Ivy as she walked over. Ivy rolled her eyes and smirked as Stef continued to let out a giggle at her reaction “Remember this one?”

“How can I not? I can’t believe Lena took a picture of me falling out of a tree”

Stef pointed to it “Yeah but I’m there catching you. This was just for the laughs to put it in a frame...to be fair she was going to take a picture of you just in the tree since you  _ insisted _ that you could do it"

“Well I did. For five seconds” Ivy laughed as she looked down at it “It was part of a dare”

“Yes I remember. You, Nate, Milo and Lottie seemed to have an act for putting yourselves into situations. There was the jumping off of the highest stairs before getting hurt, there was then of course the wrapping bubble wrap around each other’s heads and punching each other... what else?”

“We filled up balloons with paint once and had our own paint ball fight in the garden”

“Ah yes. That was one for the history books I think”

Ivy shrugged as she crossed her arms “Rather do that than be stuck behind a tablet or whatever they do now at that age”

“Well I prefer that too now that I think about it. You four were the most reckless and eventful kids I had ever come across”

Ivy ran her fingers through her hair and let out a tight smile as she walked over to her bed and sat down on it. Stef turned and put the photo down “Have you been in contact with any of them?”

Ivy let out a deep breath and nodded “Yeah, Lottie. I emailed her on Friday. She’s currently in New Orleans with her boyfriend, traveling for a while. She should be back by my birthday”

“Well Milo is a rookie at the police station”

Ivy looked to her and laughed “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I just remembered” Stef laughed as she sat on the bed beside her. Putting her hand on Ivy’s leg “And you haven’t been in contact with Nate”

“No” she said quickly “Might sound selfish but I don’t want my first words to him to be over a phone or text”

“It’s not selfish. You didn’t get to say goodbye to him face to face, you deserve to say hello the opposite way”

Ivy smiled and looked down to her twiddling fingers “Thank you for understanding”

Stef put her hand on the back of Ivy’s head as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against her forehead, then pressing her forehead against it and saying “I’ve got you”

Ivy smiled and pushed her off “You’re getting soft in your old age”

Stef laughed as she sat back, Ivy gripped hold of her hand and stroked it with her thumb as she nodded “But I know you’ve got me. I’ve got you too”

Stef smiled and gave a quick kiss on Ivy’s hand before standing up, turning to her as she picked up the bag full of junk “Sleep tight, bear”

_ Ivy grinned “Sweet dreams, mom” _

Stef snapped out of her brief imagination as Ivy whispered “Goodnight” before getting off the bed and grabbing her pajamas. Stef rubbed her lips and cleared her throat as she shook her dream away and took herself out of the room.

 


	5. Chapter 5

Ivy didn’t  _ want _ to be woken up at 7am by having Jesus jumping on the bed, wanting to take her to take him to school. But that’s the reality that she got. Ivy groaned and put the pillow over her head. Jesus laughed and shook her “You can’t hide”

“Jesus. Please...go...away”

“You promised us you would drive us to school today” Jesus said, taking the pillow off of her head and clutching onto it, making it impossible for her to drag it off of him. Ivy groaned a miserable laugh and rested her head down on the mattress “When did you get so strong?” she said in a joking sob.

“Around the same time you became a lazy ass. Come on, up and at em” Jesus said, dragging the duvet off of her body as he stood up. Ivy groaned even more and covered her eyes, he left the door open so the sunlight would get in her eyes. She was now well and truly awake. Ivy lay on her back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, she took a deep breath and stretched as she sat up in the bed. Running her fingers through her hair and instantly got lost in her thoughts.

Agreeing to driving the kids to the school meant that she could see Nate. Something she didn’t know she was ready for. She could have spent this morning preparing herself for when she would see him in the afternoon at Jesus wrestling match. Ivy crossed her arms on her knees that were tucked up to her chest and then rested her head on her arms as she stared at the corner of the room, thinking about a memory about the two of them.

_ Ivy laughed breathlessly as Nate came in through her bedroom window. She put her hand on his chest as he walked to her and laughed “You are aware my aunt’s a cop and would have you hung drawn and quartered for sneaking in my room” _

_ Nate quietly chuckled as he looked to the door, talking in just a whisper “I know. But I had to see you…” Nate tucked his hand in his back jean pocket, taking out ring that he had bought from pandora. A twisted band ring that had small diamonds all over it. Ivy took her eyes back to him and gasped when she saw it in his hand. With her jaw dropped, she looked to him as he said “Happy Birthday” _

_ “Nathan, you didn’t have to-” _

_ “Well how often do you turn sixteen, huh? Come on you never let me treat you” _

_ Ivy tilted her head as a smile splashed across her face, she rolled her eyes and stuck out her right hand. Nate grinned and took hold of it as he slid the ring on her finger, then giving it a light kiss. _

_ “If it were the left hand we would have given my aunts a heart attack” _

_ Nate laughed and cupped her face “Someday” _

_ Ivy looked at him like she had never looked at anyone before. It was something she had never felt before. She loved him. Deeply. Ivy nodded and whispered “Yeah, someday” _

_ “I’d marry you tomorrow if I could y’know? We’re young. I’m pretty sure we’re stupid” he paused as he listened to Ivy’s giggle. Nate smirked and added “But we know one thing for sure and that’s that we love each other” _

_ “I know” Ivy got on her tiptoes and nuzzled her forehead against his before kissing him softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck “We could always ask” Ivy whispered to him. _

_ "Ask what?” _

_ “My aunts, for their blessing to let us get engaged. Doesn't mean we'd have to get married that could be in years to come but...” Ivy slid herself back down his body as she looked into his eyes, seeing how taken back he was. She smiled and added “That is if you’ll have me” _

_ Nate laughed and stared at her, feeling pretty amazed, his grip tightened around her waist “I’ll definitely have you” _

_ They smiled to each other once again before pressing their lips back together. _

Looking back at it now. They were reckless teenagers, jumping into serious things. But they really did mean it. They really loved each other, she never doubted that. If she had stayed, there is not a doubt in her mind that they’d be together right now.

“Ivy! Breakfast!” Ivy snapped out of her gaze as she heard Stef’s voice calling from the kitchen doors. Ivy let out another stretch and yawn, she leaned forward on her bed and called back “Yeah be right out, save some!”

Ivy got out of bed and grabbed her clothes, running into the back and jumping in the shower.

A little while after. Ivy was dressed and all ready for the day. She joined her family in the kitchen. Which she was still finding weird to get used to, she was so used to being alone in the mornings. She made herself a bacon sandwich and flicked through her phone. The only number she didn’t have now was Milo and Nate. They seemed to have gotten new phones.

_ ‘You’re seeing him today? X - Lottie’ _

Ivy suddenly felt brief butterflies, every time she even thought about it ‘ _ Yep x’ _

_ ‘He’ll be thrilled to see you, babe, honest to god you’re never far from his thoughts. Seeing you will give him the reason to dump that baggage! X -Lottie’ _

_ ‘Oh be nice. She can’t be that bad x’ _

_ ‘No. She is. I think he’s just dating her because he’s lonely! He’s 100% still in love with you. Takes a woman to see it x - Lottie’ _

Ivy read Lottie’s words and got chills run down her spin. She went to reply but was quickly pulled away as Lena rubbed her arm to grab her attention “Remember what I said? You’ll come to my office after dropping off the kids”

“Oh yeah, yeah sure. You still not telling me why?”

Lena smirked “Element of surprise? Trust me it’s better for me to just let you see what I’m looking to do when you get there”

Ivy shrugged “Alright, you’re the boss”

Lena smiled and briefly touched Ivy’s cheek before sitting back in her chair and carrying on with her breakfast. Ivy looked down at her ring that Nate gave her those years ago, twisting it round her finger. Then having Mariana take her hand and stare at it “I never noticed this before”

“I usually have it around my chain” Ivy said, pointing to the silver necklace. She shrugged as she dropped her hand “But, I just felt like wearing it on my finger again”

“Did Nate give it to you?”

Once again, Ivy shrugged and nodded, sliding her hand from Mariana’s grasp she folded her arms and leaned them down on the table “Yeah. I guess it's a way to show him that I still care”

Mariana saw this as some kind of epic love story. It was so sad. They were torn apart without having the chance to see where the years could take them. It was like some kind of modern Romeo and Juliet. Without the death and all. Ivy looked to Stef and Lena “Listen guys, since I’m not doing anything in the afternoon, if you want me to go shopping for groceries I’d be happy to. Jesus was already complaining about running out of food”

“We are!” Jesus said in a muffled tone through chewing down on his cereal. Ivy shot him an amused glance and looked back to Stef and Lena as Stef said “That would be very helpful, love, thank you. I’ll leave the grocery money on the counter over there before I leave”

Ivy shrugged and nodded “Okay”

Fifteen minutes later, all the kids were dressed and they all got in Ivy’s car. Apart from Brandon. He still insisted that he would rather drive in his own car. Trying to hard to be an adult but not realizing he was acting like a child more than ever. Jesus of course called shotgun. He practically jumped in, then getting a glare from Ivy as he did so. She was more protective over this care than she was about the kids at times. 

She put on her round sunglasses and slid in the driver's seat as they all were in the car. Mariana couldn’t get over how well Ivy pulled off her style. She wished she could pull off the bohemian style.

* * *

The drive wasn’t too bad for the school. She never had the chance to drive to school back when she attended it. The car alone caught people’s attention. It isn’t exactly the type you see on a daily bases, much less pulling up in a school. Then the young woman who stepped out of the car certainly grabbed the boy's attention and a handful of girls too. She ran her fingers through her hair as she shut the door. Putting her keys in her overall pockets, she looked to the kids “Have a good day”

“Where are you going?” Mariana asked as she saw Ivy heading in the front entrance whilst the others went round the back to the tables.

“Lena wants to talk to me about something” Ivy raised her eyebrows to Mariana as she put her sunglasses on the top of her head before turning around and carrying on towards the main entrance. Lena got to work earlier than the kids by about fifteen minutes.

Ivy couldn’t help but be aware of her surroundings. Looking out for Nate. She didn’t want their first meeting to be crashing into each other in the middle of their former school hallway. But she didn’t. She didn’t see him at all. Ivy walked over to the office and knocked on the door, she stepped inside and saw that Lena wasn’t alone.

“Ivy this is my colleague Timothy”

Ivy smiled to the young man and said in a nervous mutter “Hi”

“Hello”

“Timothy this is my niece Ivy” Ivy stretched her arm out and shook Timothy’s hand before sitting down in front of Lena’s desk. Ivy looked to Lena “So this is what you meant by knowing someone who could help”

“Yes. Timothy is the head of English here at the school and he’s about to start a creative writing course”

“Your Aunt tells me that you’re a writer”

Ivy’s eyes flickered back and forth between Lena and Timothy “Well, yeah but I haven’t been published or anything-”

“That doesn’t matter” Timothy said with a light laugh and a kind smile “Just because you haven’t been published does not mean that you are not a talented writer”

Ivy nodded, taking gratitude to his words but still felt like she was being brought in at the end of the story, she shrugged and looked to Lena as she said “So what’s this got to do with me getting a job?”

Lena smiled “Well. I’m glad you asked. For this creative writing course, Timothy is going to need some help”

She suddenly felt butterflies going in her stomach, feeling as if she already knew where this was going. Ivy just let Lena continue “And we have agreed, myself and Timothy with the principal that we would like you to be Timothy’s right hand woman on this. Now, the pay won’t be the same as a teacher’s you’ll be an a teaching assistant salary, this is just to keep you steady-”

“I’ll take it” Ivy said in a light laugh, feeling slightly overwhelmed. This would be perfect. The course was bound to last at least half a semester, plenty of time for Ivy to get out there and go job hunting for something more permanent.

“Great!” Timothy smiled, clapping his hands together “Well the course doesn’t start till next monday so I suppose you should consider this week as a holiday”

“That’s it? You don’t need any kind of proof that I’m any good?”

“I have Lena’s word. That’s good enough for me” he smiled, slapping his hands on his legs as he stood up “Right well I better get myself in class. A pleasure to meet you Ivy, I’m looking forward to working with you”

“Yeah me too, thank you for...well giving me a job really”

Timothy laughed and pointed to her as he said to Lena “I see what you mean about the charisma” Lena smirked and nodded. The two women watched Timothy leave the room, Ivy spun around “I have never loved you as much as I do right now”

Lena laughed and reached over, taking Ivy by the hand “You deserve this break, honey”

Ivy then thought for a moment “Oh...I’m going to be working in the same environment as Nate”

“Would that be so bad?”

“I guess not”

Lena gave Ivy’s hand a squeeze “You’ll be seeing him today anyway”

Ivy licked her bottom lip and asked “Is he here now?”

“No he’s got a late start today, he’s going to come in about fifteen minutes before the team gathers for the wrestling match”

“Right, right” Ivy nodded. She took her phone out and looked to the time “Well, I better get going. Getting that shopping in” Ivy leaned over the table and kissed Lena’s cheek “Thank you so much by the way”

“I just want to help you in anyway I can, honey”

Ivy shot Lena another grin before leaving the office, before leaving the school, she peered her head around the corner to where all the kids headed to and saw Jesus sat at a table with Emma. Ivy ran over and slapped her hands on his shoulders, peering her head over his shoulder “Hey”

“Hey” Jesus laughed “What’re you-”

“Just letting you know, I’ll be teaching your ass next week”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your english teacher Timothy is starting a writing course and guess who is going to be his right hand woman”

Jesus’s eyes widened as he grinned “Seriously?”

Ivy nodded with a beaming smile. Jesus grabbed Ivy’s hand “Ivy that’s great”

“Yeah I just wanted to...well  _ brag  _ to someone” she giggled and patted his shoulders again “Tell the rest of them, make yourself useful”

“Okay”

“And get your ass to class soon” Ivy muttered as she stood back up straight. Looking to Emma and shooting her a smile “Hi”

Emma gave a tight smile back along with a little wave “Hi”

As soon as Ivy walked away, Emma leaned forward and whispered “Okay. She may be your best one yet, including me”

Jesus looked at her and laughed, then pulling a disgusted face “No. No Emma she’s my cousin”

“You have a cousin?”

“Many people do” Jesus shrugged with a cocky smirk. Emma rolled her eyes and sat back. She hated it when he did that. Jesus crossed his arms and looked around, he was then the one who leaned forward and muttered “Yeah but guess what?”

Emma shrugged “What?”

“She’s Nate’s ex” Jesus said in a whisper before taking one of her grapes and putting it in his mouth with a grin written across his face. Emma’s jaw dropped, she raised her eyebrows and leaned her head forward ever so slightly “Like as in the  _ big  _ ex that he mentioned”

“Uh huh. One he dated for three years and all”

“Wow” Emma said breathlessly, she nodded “He really loved her. The kind that doesn’t fade over night”

“Or in five years”

* * *

By the time Ivy got home, the whole family was home. She had a nap before leaving the house and then ended up using the money Frank left her to give herself a little treat to clothes and a new phone case. Mariana’s eyes lit up at the sight of shopping bags, as soon as they touched the kitchen counter she ran over and began to look through it all. Ivy laughed and put her hand on the top of her head as she looked to Stef “So, did Aunt Lena tell you the news?”  

“I don’t know…” Stef teased as she leaned down and took out something from the cabinet, then saying as she held it up with her eyebrow raised “Did she?”

Ivy’s eyes lit up more than they did when she went shopping, the  _ Jamaican spiced rum  _ that was being held right in front of her, she held her hands out like a baby wanting milk as took it out of Stef’s hand, giving her a hug, Stef then said with a small laugh “Is this the right one?”

“ _ Rumbullion Rum  _ that looks like a pirates bottle. Yep that’s the right one. It pricey though Aunt Stef you shouldn’t-”

“Hey. You told me this is your favorite drink. Although I caught on to the fact that you are underage...but i figured I’d let that go. Forget the price. You deserve a treat”

Ivy grinned and looked back to the bottle, hugging onto it tight like it was a teddy bear “Better than Christmas. Well anything would be better than the last five Christmases but still”  Ivy unscrewed the bottle and took a swig of it. As the rum left a satisfying burn in her throat she made out a breathless  _ “Ah”  _ sound and then added “Just a little pick me up to settle my current nerves for today”

“Ivy these clothes are gorgeous!” Mariana exclaimed from the opposite side of the kitchen. Ivy smirked and screwed the bottle top back on as she said “Well I ain’t giving you them  _ but  _ I was going to throw out some of my old clothes to charity, you can have them instead if you want”

“Oh my god really?!” Mariana squealed. Ivy nodded “Yeah but you’ll have to look through them later because we gotta go”

Stef looked down to her watch and nodded “Yes we do” she quickly walked to the bottom of the stairs and called up to Brandon, Callie and Jude “Come on you three let’s go, go, go!”

“Is Mama still at school?” Mariana asked as she grabbed her jacket. Stef nodded and waved Mariana to her to try and get her to speed up a little “Yeah, love, she’s meeting us there”

Ivy slapped Mariana’s behind as they headed towards the door, with the ones upstairs making their way down. Mariana turned to Ivy “Are you excited?”

“I wouldn’t use that term”

“What term would you use?”

“Terrified” Ivy shrugged with a nervous laugh to go along with it “I haven’t seen him in five years. Haven’t spoken to him in...I don’t even remember”

“Why?”

Ivy shrugged again as they stepped out of the house “It just became too hard. We tried to make it work but...even when we agreed to just be friends it was too hard”

Ivy saw Mariana frown in the corner of her eye and said with a small laugh “I didn’t say that for sympathy”

“I know, it’s just sad” Mariana shrugged as they grew closer to the car. Ivy didn’t say much to her, she just looked to Mariana and gave her a tight smile as she said in a whisper “Yeah…”

Then left her standing by her door at back and walked over to the passenger seat at the front. Jude got in the car with them whilst Brandon and Callie decided to drive down in his car. Stef soon joined them, as she put on her seat belt she looked to Ivy and then her shaking hands. Stef sat back and put her hand over them “You alright?”

Ivy looked up to Stef as she turned her head and did the same. Ivy took a breath and shrugged “I’m gonna have to be”

Stef looked at her for a moment longer up until Ivy rolled her eyes and shook her head “I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine. Let’s just get going we don’t want to be late”

Stef knew that was a polite way saying  _ just get on with it.  _ She knew that because it’s what she does all the time. So on with it she went.

* * *

The gym was getting more people in it as the team made themselves prepared. Jesus sat down on the bench and stretched his legs when he had Emma drop beside him and say “How’re you feeling, Foster?”

“Pretty good” Jesus shrugged with a warm smile.

“Well that’s the first time I’ve heard you say that without any hint of nerves”

Jesus shrugged again “Good mood I guess” as he looked around, he saw his family enter the gym. All giving him a wave as they took their seats. Ivy the main cause of his mood. The family felt even more of a family when she was around. It was once again felt whole. And he had back his best friend, he could go to her for anything and she’d support him and give him advice. So having that back gave him a reason to smile indeed.

Ivy sat beside Stef and Lena on the stands whilst the rest of the kids sat together. Callie’s _friend_ AJ joined them. Stef has said on a few occasions that she’s pretty sure something was going on between the two of them but Callie just laughs and shakes her head. Which means yes, given Ivy used to do the exact same thing. Still, by the look of him, she could do a lot worse. All that was really on her mind was Nate’s whereabouts. He was bound to be here. Even he wrestled himself he didn’t dare to miss a match, practice or real.

Then suddenly. She saw him. As soon as her eyes set on him, she felt her breath get caught in her throat. He looked so different yet still the same. If anything he had gotten more beautiful than she last saw him. Nate was half Indian from his father’s side whose family moved here in the late fifties before his father was even born. Nate’s dad met his mom in college, they were together for nineteen years up until he passed away due to a severe brain hemorrhage. Nate was only fifteen and affected him terribly.

If it weren’t for Ivy he would have gone down a very wrong path. Which was one of the main reasons he still has her on a pedestal. In a way, she saved his life and kept him on the straight and narrow. 

Nate could always see his dad though, all he really had to do was look in a mirror. They were so much alike. Apart from his nose and mouth which he got from his mom. His smile was enough to still make all the girls swoon.

Ivy noticed the bear paw print tattoo that he had on his forearm, it seems like he held up his own end of the deal. They said when they turned 18 they would get it. Clearly she was never too far away from his mind like he wasn’t in hers.

Ivy gripped onto Stef’s hand as an impulse to seeing him. His eyes hadn’t come across her yet. She saw Stef and Lena smirking in the corner of her eye, but she was too speechless to even function. Like a deer in headlights.

Nate walked over to Jesus and Emma who were in mid conversation and joined in “Who’s stunning?”

“Jesus’s cousin” Emma said straight away without even thinking. A smile crept up on Nate’s face , looking down to his sleeve as he straightened it up “Yeah she is”

“Do you not think it’s gonna be awkward?” Emma asked, crossing her arms. Nate looked back to her. Jesus just remained very quiet. Nate shrugged and said with a confused chuckle “What’re you talking about?”

Emma’s head snapped to Jesus and slapped his arm “You didn’t tell him?”

“I was told not to!” Jesus shot back.

As he and Emma continued to bicker. Jesus then heard Nate whisper “Jesus Christ” the pair looked to him and saw how Nate’s eyes had now locked onto the subject. Ivy was no longer looking at him, she was talking to Stef and Lena, unbeknownst to him she was talking  _ about  _ him. His heart suddenly began to race and a lump appeared in his throat. The whistle suddenly blew, Jesus and Emma looked at him again before sitting down on the bench. There was nothing they could really do. Nate glanced to them and then looked back to Ivy, who was smiling and laughing like the last time he saw her. He couldn’t wait till the match was over, a minute waiting would be too long. He’d waited five years for this.

Nate patted Jesus on the shoulder before making his way across the gym towards her.

“Is he walking over?” Ivy muttered to Stef and Lena, with all three women having their eyes locked onto him, Stef and Lena nodded and said in unison “Yeah”

Ivy took a deep breath and whispered under her breath as she slid her hand out of Stef’s “Shit…” Ivy slowly stood up and walked over to the far side of the stairs to meet him at the bottom. She took her shaking hand and resting it on the railing as she took her steps down. Nate stopped at the bottom of the steps as Ivy stopped just two small steps apart. They stared at each other for a moment, as if they were both trying to gather their own thoughts before speaking.

Then, Nate let out a grin as he scanned every single part of her face, every single detail. Returning his eyes to her, shaking his head with an overwhelmed smile still on his face he said “Hey stranger”

Ivy let out a breathless laugh, looking down to the floor for a moment before taking her tearful eyes back to him, she tucked a strand behind her ear and shrugged with an innocent face “Hey”

The pair let out stiff nervous laughter. Ivy shook her head and sighed “Listen, I’m...I’m sorry that I didn’t call you it’s just…”

“You just?”

Ivy’s breath hitched, she let out another small shrug and said in a whisper “I was scared you’d have changed...resented me for drifting away”

Nate shook his head and pulled her in close, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he smiled softly and let out a deep breath “I’d never resent you, idiot. It was a tough time, for you more than me I’m sure”

Ivy gripped onto him tighter and whispered with a cry “You have no idea”

Still in each other's arms, Nate opened his eyes and saw Stef and Lena looking at them.

“I see their spying hasn’t exactly been made any more subtle” he muttered as he gave them a wave and pulled away. Ivy glanced to them and shook her head “Nope”

Nate rubbed his lips and pushed her strand of hair that had fallen again before wiping a stray tear that ran down her face “You’ve not changed” he said in a whisper.

“Yeah? Well you have. What happened to the long hair?”

Nate laughed and scratched the back of his neck, shaking his head he shrugged “Went a couple of years ago...what about you? Your aunts happy about that nose ring?”

Ivy let out a faint smile before tapping her nose “Yeah well they think it actually suits me”

“That makes three of us” Nate chuckled, getting lost in gazing at her once again he took a deep breath  “Ivy-”

“Nate!” Coach called from the other side of the gym, Nate groaned and turned around. His superior and step-father motioned his hand to the team “You have a job!”

Ivy looked at him and watched his jaw clench and the blood boil through his expression. Ivy put her hand on his shoulder “Hey, it’s okay we can talk later”

Nate turned to her “I’m sorry”

“Honestly, it’s fine”

“Why don’t we go grab something to eat after this? Burger Shack? We can talk about... _ stuff _ then”

Ivy nodded with a warm smile “Yeah that would be nice”

“Okay” Nate said in a breathless whisper and grin. He rubbed Ivy’s hand that rested close to his on the railing, shot her another smile and then turned around, jogging back over to the team. Ivy stayed stood where she was for a moment and just looked at him, seeing how he kept shifting his eyes to her and smiling. Eventually she took her eyes away from him and walked back over to Stef and Lena, along with their eyes looking at her, she saw the kids staring at her also a few steps down. All apart from Brandon of course.

Ivy waved her hand at them saying  _ shut up  _ which made them all laugh and take their eyes back to the match. Ivy looked to Stef and Lena with a lingering smile on her face.

Stef knew what that face meant, she could make a prediction in her head on what was going to happen, she nodded and said as she turned her head to watching Jesus “Oh boy”

Ivy leaned forward, resting her folded arms on her knees “Yeah...oh boy” 


	6. Chapter 6

It took an hour and a half before the practice matches were done. When the team got dressed in their team tracksuits and packed up their stuff. The family made their way down the stand and waited for Jesus to join them. 

Ivy crossed her arms and tried to not look at those who were staring at her.

“So what are we doing for dinner tonight?” Lena asked the family “What are we feeling?”

Ivy scratched above her top lip and muttered quietly to Stef “I won’t be here for dinner”

Stef looked to Ivy and raised an eyebrow “Why?”

Ivy looked to Nate “We’re...going for a bite to catch up”

Before Stef had the chance to say anything, Ivy quickly added on “As friends” she looked to Stef with a smirk as she watched her quickly back down in saying anything. She nudged Stef and said with a light laugh “Believe it or not I do know what I’m doing”

“I know that  _ you  _ know what you’re doing”

“Meaning?” Ivy laughed. Stef shook her head, she ran her hand down the back of Ivy’s head and kissed her forehead “Just have a good time” Stef rubbed Ivy’s back as she watched her then walk away and over to Nate who was stood with the team.

Ivy walked over to Jesus first and gave him a hug “You’re good at this”

“Why do you sound surprised?” Jesus chuckled as he rested his head on Ivy’s shoulder for a moment before looking back at her. Ivy shrugged and patted his shoulders and teased “I thought you’d suck?”

“Thanks a lot” he laughed. Ivy patted his arms and pointed over to the family “They are waiting for you”

“Where are you going?”

“Grabbing a bite...with Nate at the burger shack”

“Oh” Jesus muttered in a higher pitched voice, raising his eyebrows to her. Ivy rolled her eyes and slapped him on the back “Just go”

Nate turned and walked over to her, with a soft smile on his face. Just looking at his face felt so surreal to her, it was as if she was still dreaming of meeting him. And he was shaking inside. She almost turned into some kind of fictional goddess that he had held so highly for all these years. He always knew she’d come back someday, when she was finally able to get out of the clutches Katherine. He just thought she’d have been a little older than she was now, probably with a boyfriend that she loved more than she ever loved him. Maybe she did, he didn’t know. 

“You alright to go?”

Ivy muttered a laugh before saying “We’re not kids anymore, Nate”

“Right” Nate said with a nervous laugh, shaking his head with embarrassment “Right, habit I guess” Ivy smiled at him and slid her hands in her pockets, nodding towards the door “Shall we then?”

Nate put his gym bag on his shoulder and nodded, saying in a nervous hitch of breath “Yeah”

He clutched onto his gym strap to try and hide his shaking hands.

* * *

 

They walked to the burger strap since it wasn’t too far from the school. They remembered how that’s where they used to sneak off to when they had a free period. 

The table they always sat at was also free. If fate was something to be believed in, it was certainly taking it’s role seriously now. 

They sat down facing each other, it was silent for a moment as neither of them really knew where to start. After a thought, Ivy smirked and said to lighten the mood of the conversation before getting into any deep stuff “Well, first off it’s good to see you held up your end of the bargain” Ivy said tapping his bear paw print tattoo.

Nate looked down and laughed, he almost forgot about that thing, Nate shrugged and said as he took his eyes to her “I promised you I would. Did you?”

Ivy rolled up her cardigan sleeve and revealed the tattoo. Nate leaned forward and placed the tip of his finger over it, which sent shivers straight down Ivy’s spine. He smiled and complimented “Looks good on you”

Nate leaned back and stared at her, shaking his head “I can’t actually believe I’m looking at your face to face. Thought it’d be a helluva long time before that happened”

“Yeah well you were always a cynic” Ivy muttered, looking down at her palms that rubbed against the table due to sheer nerves, she then heard him say “So how is it that I am sitting across the way from you right now?”

She looked up at him and stared. Nate folded his arms and leaned down on the table, shrugging his shoulders to then go on and add “What happened?”

Ivy took a deep breath and cleared her throat “It was just...Katherine did something.. _ caused _ something bad that I found out about. I threatened to call the cops and before I knew it, she was gone”

“What did she cause?”

There was silence as she latched onto his big brown eyes again and then heard the little voice in her head say  _ ‘You’ve already bent the truth to the woman you would die for. Bending the truth to the boy you’d die for won’t be much different’ _

“She caused a girl I know a lot of pain, the girl-well she was attacked”

Nate raised his eyebrows and muttered “Jesus. That’s crazy”

“Yeah...but she’s gone now so…”

“And the girl?”

“Getting better last time I checked”

Nate cracked a small smile “Well at least that’s something...how was it? Over there I mean...was-”

“It was hell” Ivy nodded as she finished his sentence, rubbing her lips together, she saw the sympathetic look on his face “It was hell but I got through. It wasn’t total doom and gloom. I had a good friend there who supported me through things”

“Boyfriend?”

Ivy smirked “Is this you questioning if I’m single?”

Nate shrugged with a mischievous smile on his face “Are you?”

Ivy soon blubbered out in a laugh “I am but you’re not!”

Nate’s face soon dropped to a surprised one, he was glad to see that Ivy didn’t seem pissed or upset. But Ivy coming back may have been slight wrong timing given that situation. Nate dated Hayley’s sister, Lauren for around two months now and things were going great. Much like Hayley, she became clingy and rather possessive, Nate was planning on ending things with her soon. But now it’ll look like he’s dumping her for Ivy, and he didn’t want Ivy to look like some kind of home wrecker, so it was safe to say that his mind was a little jumbled in that area on what to do.

Nate bowed his head down with a sighing smile and said “I was going to tell you”

“Uh huh” Ivy teased.

“I swear I was! You know what type of guy I am”

Ivy raised her eyebrows and teased even more “It’s been a few years”

“Well believe me you still know me better than anyone” Nate stated as he looked to the beach to the side of him, giving Ivy the time to smile at him with a loving smile before going back to playing it cool as he looked back to her “It’s not been that long. Me and Lauren”

“Nate it’s fine. It’s not as if I’d still be pining after you after all these years” Ivy lied with a convincing small laugh, she shrugged “We grew up. Met new people. It’s only natural. If anything it was my fault for drifting away...things were just getting too hard-”

“You don’t have to apologize to me, Ives”

A smile caught onto her face “No-one’s called me that in a while”

“Of course they haven’t. It’s  _ my  _ name” Nate said with a light laugh “All that matters is that you’re back now. With your family and you’re happy again right?”

“Right”

Nate shrugged “Then the past is irrelevant”

This was one of the main things Ivy always loved about Nate. He never pushed on things, he didn’t force her to tell him anything she wasn’t comfortable with. He just let it be and hoped that in time she will tell him more. Maybe she will. He is her best friend.

“I have missed you” Ivy soon confessed. Bringing another warm touched smile to Nate’s face.

“I’ve missed you too” he put his hand out over the table and laid it out flat, Ivy smiled and placed hers in it, their hands locking together, Nate softly rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

Ivy looked down at him do so, and although she was getting butterflies, she couldn’t help but think she was playing with fire.

* * *

After their catching up an hour after, Nate and Ivy walked back to the school parking lot, got in their own cars and went to their own homes. Nate’s home wasn’t far from Ivy’s. In fact from his balcony he could see The Foster’s household.

He got up to his apartment door, diving his hand in his pocket and learning quickly that he had forgotten his keys “Shit” he whispered to himself. Nate knocked on the door “Milo!”

There was no answer.

“For god sake... _ Milo _ !” Nate stepped back and put his hands along the top of the door frame. With luck, Milo remembered to put the spare key back in the the hole they made for it. Nate took it in his grip and unlocked the door. Walking into the apartment, he found his best friend fast asleep on the couch. Nate rolled his eyes, he grabbed the basketball that was on the floor by their table and launched it at his head. Being the former athlete he was paid off since it hit him right on the head. Causing Milo to wake up and groan, leaning up and holding his head “Christ, Nate”

“It’s partly my fault for forgetting my keys but you need to quit sleeping during the day”

“I got sent home early from work hardly my bloody fault you’re so careless” Milo said as he stretched, then standing up and taking him and his shirtless torso into the kitchen. Milo had been best friends with both Nate and Ivy ever since he moved over to the States from Essex in England. He was the typical pretty boy. Dirty blonde hair that was always effortlessly perfect, on top of the amazing blue eyes, he had a killer smile that could get any girl he wanted to jump into his bed.

As he poured himself a glass for orange juice, he looked at Nate’s distracted face and couldn’t help but grow curious “What’s with you?”

Nate walked along the back of the couch, which his hand skimming along it. When he reached the end, he looked over to Milo and then let out a grin “You’ll never guess who I saw today?”

“Alright. I’ll bite” Milo took a swig of the drink and shrugged “Who?”

Nate dropped himself down on the couch, he waited until Milo took another swig of his drink and then said “Ivy”

Milo choked on his juice, hearing Nate let out a small chuckle. He knew he did that on purpose but he was too shocked to even try and get him back for it. Milo quickly made his way out of the kitchen and over to the couch, jumping over the arm and sitting down. With his knees up to his chest “Ivy? Are you serious?”

“Would I joke about her?”

“Well no”

Nate muttered a small laugh, taking the glass out of Milo’s hand and taking a sip for himself. Milo ran his fingers through his hair and let out a deep, surprised breath “Wow-well how, what...why’s she back? Last time she said she couldn’t even leave her house-”

“Yeah well her mom took off” Nate shrugged “That’s basically all she would say, she was a little vague but...we had a lunch and just talked”

Milo raised his eyebrows with a smirk but said nothing about it, though Nate knew what he was suggesting. Milo arched his back as he stretched and said “So how is our lovely Ivy? Still hot?”

“Still beautiful…” Nate said, soon getting lost back in thought. Milo sat back up straight and stared at his best friend, nudging his leg with his foot “Don’t go getting ideas whilst you’re still with Lauren”

Nate snapped back down to earth and looked to Milo “Hm? I’m not going-”

“Cause Ivy isn’t the type of girl to be a bit on the side”

“I know that, believe me...I was going to end it with Lauren...I told you that but now that she’s back it’ll look bad on Ivy”

Milo shrugged and shook his head “You don’t know that. Ending it with Lauren had nothing to do with Ivy. Her coming back was just a bonus” he lightly laughed.

“You’re right about that”

“Does Lottie know?”

“Yeah, yeah Ivy mentioned that they spoke a few days ago”

Milo grinned and stood back up from the coach “Whole gang is getting back together, huh?”

“She’s also got a job at the school”

Milo spun back around “Seriously?”

Nate nodded “A teaching job over the semester for a creative writing course”

Milo couldn’t help but  _ howl  _ a laugh and put his hand on his stomach “Wow, well if you wanted to keep your distance to contain yourself you couldn’t do it anyway”

Nate put the glass back on the table, then lightly laughing at Milo’s point. Nate put his hands together and bowed his head down, looking at the ground and thinking about her. Her smile and hearing her laugh again. It was enough to make him go to sleep tonight with a smile.

* * *

Back at the Foster’s household. Mariana walked into her bedroom, followed by Jesus. She sat on her bed with her hand on her heart and said “Did you see the look on their faces when they saw each other?”

“I was kinda busy” Jesus laughed “Plus don’t go jumping to-”

“They’re still in love I can see it”

“... _ -conclusions  _ they only talked”

“Still”

Jesus shrugged and lent back against her draws, a devilish smile growing on his face “Yeah well. I’ll grill her about it tomorrow and try and get out some answers”

Mariana then looked at him, slightly confused “What do you mean?”

Jesus cleared his throat and said “I was going to see if she wanted to go and chill out on the beach on my free. Play some catch with the football or something like we used to?”

Mariana let out a scoffed laugh and shook her head “Erm no you’re not, I was going to see if she and I wanted to hang out”

“No way Mariana. Ivy and I have always had more in common, she’s not into all the girly princess crap that you like-”

“What has that got to do with me and her catching up?” Mariana snapped back. Jesus then stood back up and got more defensive “Quit being spiteful”

“Quit _ siendo un idiota, Jesús, no puede acaparar nuestra propia prima _ (being an asshole, Jesus, you can't hog our own cousin)”

Jesus laughed and argued back in the choice of language “ _Me abraza? No sea una reina del drama_ (Me hog her? Don't be such a drama queen)”

As they continued to argue in spanish. Ivy came up the stairs and heard the noise. Before she got to the door, Callie came out of the bathroom “Hey Cal, any idea what’s going on in there”

“I don’t know. They started arguing in spanish and I don’t know a word of that. But I think it’s about you” Ivy rolled her eyes and let out a brief laugh, rubbing Callie’s arm as she passed her to go downstairs, Ivy walked into Mariana’s room to hear the twins argue.

As soon as she entered the room she said “ _ Whoa mis hermosas latinas lo que se trata todo esto?  _ (Whoa my beautiful latinas what's all this about?)”

Jesus looked at her oddly “Since when do you speak spanish?”

Ivy smirked and raised an eyebrow “I’m a woman of many talents. Now what’s going on?”

Mariana motioned her hand to Jesus “He’s being an ass”

Ivy folded her arms and shrugged her shoulders, saying in a whisper “He’s always an ass?”

Jesus nudged her with a laugh as Mariana rolled her eyes “Whatever. Look Jesus wanted to go out and spend some time with you but i want us to hang out and talk tomorrow” 

Ivy couldn’t help but let out a small laugh but then seeing the serious looks on their faces she soon tried to contain herself, Ivy rubbed her lips together and momentarily bowed her head down to the floor “Okay...um have you two not thought of the idea of us all hanging out, you know as in the three of us?”

Jesus and Mariana both went to go say something but then realized that they had been well and truly stupid, they both looked to each other. Each feeling slightly embarrassed, Ivy stared at them with a smile on her face “You guys are sweet”  

Jesus and Mariana looked back to her, Ivy then raised her eyebrows and added “But really temperamental. Work on that” she smirked to them and backed out of the room, into the hall.

Ivy saw Stef and Lena’s bedroom door opened, she walked over and knocked on when she saw them talking in bed “Can I come in?”

“Of course honey” Lena motioned her hand to Ivy as Stef patted her hand on the mattress. Ivy walked over and pointed to Mariana’s door behind her “Do they always argue in spanish?”

“Usually when it’s over something they love”

Ivy let out a cocky smirk and briefly raised her eyebrows “Wow. I guess I should be thanking them” she then laughed as she looked to them “I just wanted to tell you guys that I’m taking the twins out tomorrow after school and Callie told me she’s hanging out with her _boyfriend_ AJ, Jude’s hanging with his boyfriend and Brandon is at that bar he’s been helping out at...do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

Stef and Lena stared at her, a little clueless. Ivy laughed and stood back up, she walked back towards the door and turned around “You two will have the chance to be in the house  _ alone _ ” Ivy said as she wriggled her eyebrows for a moment along with a smirk. Stef and Lena looked to each other and then back to Ivy before throwing a pillow at her as their only logical way of response.

* * *

After dinner, Ivy noticed how quiet Jude was being. Uncharacteristically quiet. He was usually smiley and talkative. Then, when it fell dark. Ivy found him on the porch swing by himself. No-one else had really noticed, but she did. Ivy walked out to the the porch and stopped at the door as she looked to him. 

“Okay if I join you?” Ivy asked him. Jude let out a tight and _ forced _ smile “Sure”

Ivy walked over to him and sat beside him on the swing. Jude kept his eyes on his phone. Ivy glanced to his phone and then took her eyes back to him “What’s wrong?”

Jude looked to Ivy in the corner of his eyes, then muttering “Connor and I had a fight”

“A fight? Well they’re never fun” Ivy put her knee to her chest and shifted herself to face him more, Jude didn’t say anything, Ivy kept her eyes to him “You want to talk about it?”

Jude sighed and sat back “He got mad at me because when someone asked us if we were gay I said I wasn’t”

“Wasn’t gay?”

Jude nodded.

Ivy raised her eyebrows and let out a slow shrug “Are you confused? Do you think you may be bisexual or something else?”

Jude shrugged and then shook his head “No I don’t think so” he saw how Ivy wasn’t exactly following, he sighed “I just hate labels, I hate how I always have to be branded as something...and I…”

Jude sighed again and looked back to Ivy, who then said in a soft voice “You what, bud?”

Jude rubbed his lips together and just blurted out “Ivy do you believe in god?”

Ivy raised her eyebrows, a little taken back by the way he just blurted that out, she looked down at her hands that rubbed her knee, then she began to nod and look back to him “Yeah I do”

“And moms don’t?”

“Not necessarily... _ moms _ are very spiritual people, with the whole god thing I think it’s more like they neither say deny or  _ confirm- _ I guess in a god, they just more say ‘ _ if’  _ there is”

Jude nodded and looked down to the floor, Ivy tilted her head to him “Why do you ask?”

“Because I believe in god. And until I realized i liked Connor I didn’t really think about it...but I can’t help but think-”

“Don’t buy into any homophobic crap you hear, anyone who involves god into a homophobic argument is just using god as an excuse, the majority of people who use that aren’t even really religious. Or if they are, they aren’t a good christian”

Jude looked to her “You really think that?”

“Yeah I do. But Jude, forget what people say, aside from being gay being a highly accepted thing nowadays...i erm” Ivy let out a sigh and then said with a light laugh “Sorry I’ve never done this before...listen, I along with many people believe you are accepted by god no matter who you are. Be proud. You know I think you’re going through what your mom went through, internalized homophobia which is you finding it hard to accept who you are because of your beliefs and the people around you. Like my gramps for example”

Jude let Ivy’s words sink in for a moment “I guess…”

“Look love finds you, you know? You don’t get to choose” Ivy smiled softly, she leaned forward and then whispered “Who knows maybe I’ll fall in love with a girl someday”

Jude laugh as she then did herself. Jude nodded and raised her eyebrows “Well they’d be lucky to have you” Jude’s laugh faded and his smile became more sincere when he said “Thanks, Ivy”

Ivy pulled him close and kissed the top of his head “Anytime, bud” she ruffled his hair and stood back up, before walking into the house, she turned and pointed to his phone “Call him, tell him what you’ve been feeling. If he’s the good guy you’ve told me he is then he’ll understand”

Jude nodded and began to dial the number.

“Also don’t be too long out here it’s getting late” Ivy quickly ordered with a little smirk to him.

* * *

Ivy crossed into the kitchen in order to go to her room and do a last minute shift of some boxes she had packed away. It was getting there slowly. The walls needed painting before she could put any of her art up that she bought. But still, she was getting there. 

Brandon was pouring himself a glass of orange, when he saw her, he couldn’t help but stop her as he said “You saw Nate today?”

Ivy stopped and turned to him, placing her hands on the kitchen table “I did...you saw me so-”

“You went to lunch?”

Ivy stared at him, rubbing her lips together she then popped her gum “You know I’ve never had a father, if this is what it’s like then i’m kind of glad I didn’t”

Brandon rolled his eyes at her and shook his head. He just cut straight to the point and dropped the orange carton “Listen whatever you’re planning to do with Nate. Don’t”

“Excuse me?” Ivy said in a laugh full of disbelief.

“Lauren comes into the bar I work a lot, she’s a good person”

“I don’t doubt that-”

“And I don’t want her to get hurt”

Ivy looked at her hand and slowly slapped it down on the table “Okay Brandon. The only thing that can hurt Lauren right now is Nate...or a bus”

Brandon scowled a fake amused smile “Think about it, if Nate cheats on Lauren with you what does that make him?”

Ivy shrugged and said bluntly “Probably not as much of an ass as the boy who cheated on his girlfriend by kissing his foster sister and almost screwing up hers and Jude’s life” Ivy didn’t exactly know what had come over her to say something as harsh as that. Maybe it was the fact he was trying to suggest something about both herself and Nate.

Brandon scoffed “What did you just say?”

“Don’t think that I don’t know what goes on in my own family, Brandon. Not only is cheating not in Nate’s blood it _sure_ as hell isn’t in mine. Don’t act like you’ve got me pegged as someone that I’m not when you have done things just as bad if not worse. Fake IDs. Stealing. Cheating” Ivy shook her head “My relationship with Nate right now is platonic and also none of your business. Don’t stand there, making him sound like some shitty guy when you did the exact same thing you are accusing him of doing”

Ivy felt her blood boiling up more and more, she had to walk away now before she really lost it. Ivy stood back up from leaning against the table, but before she walked out the door, she halted and said one more thing, her voice slightly raised “And you know what? At least my  _ relationship _ won’t tear the family apart and look how it turned out...it wasn’t even worth it”

Brandon remained silent, he bowed his head down and all he heard was Ivy mutter “Goodnight” and then a loud slam of Ivy shutting the door behind her. 

One that alerted Stef. 


	7. Chapter 7

Brandon jumped out of his skin when his bedroom door flew open, with his angry mother storming in and saying “What is your problem? Just tell me right now what is it?” 

Brandon slowly took his headphones off. Clearly Stef went to see what made Ivy so upset. He acted clueless in the kitchen, which probably made Stef more angry at the fact that he had practically lied to her face, Brandon sighed “Mom-”

“Who are you to get on a high horse and  _ interrogate _ Ivy on her personal life? Do you understand how confused she is right now about all of this? How heartbroken she is-”

“Well trust her to tell you. Her best friend”

Stef gave him a stern look, with his hands on her hips “I am the only one she is truly comfortable opening up to B”

“I get it!” Brandon snapped back. Stef then crossed her arms as she leaned down to him “What is it about her that gets you so riled up? Hm? Tell me because I really don’t understand”

Brandon sigh and sat back in his chair “Isn’t it clear? She’s your golden girl. Always number one whether she’s here or San francisco-”

“That’s ridiculous. I love all you kids the same-”

“She isn’t even your kid!”

Stef stood back up straight and took in a deep breath “We’re going there are we?...she’s not mine? Whose is she? Katherine’s? The woman who abandoned her for sixteen years and popped by whenever she felt like it? Or what about your other  _ siblings _ ?”

Brandon scoffed “It’s different”

Stef nodded and pointed to him “It’s different because _you_ have a problem with her. If we are going to get technical here Brandon, she has been a sister to you longer than the rest. Ivy has been through a rough time, she’s trying to get her life back on track and she does not need you giving her a third degree”

“Rough time? Be serious mom, how bad could she have had it. Do you not think she might be playing you?”

Before Stef had the chance to really snap to him. Ivy beat him to it as she came bursting in after eavesdropping in on the conversation.

“You arrogant son of a bitch!”

Stef sighed and folded her arms and muttered a small warning for Ivy to calm down “Ivy”

Ivy glanced to Stef and shook her head “No. Aunt Stef. He doesn’t get to do that” she looked back to Brandon “You don’t get to make assumptions about my life when you haven’t lived it or know anything about what I went through? Do you think I was having the time of my life up there? Well you know what Brandon whilst you were demanding to move out of this house and crapping all over everything that has ever been given to you I would have given anything to be here. You have no idea how long I lived in fear”  

Stef gulped heavily and took a deep breath. She really didn’t like what she was hearing. Ivy still hadn’t told her what those fearful things where.

Ivy shook her head “You know...I was so threatened by you ever since you were born. I thought it was you that was the _ golden boy _ . And the sad thing about all of this, is whilst I was away from all of you. I did miss you”

Stef rubbed Ivy’s arm and softly demanded “Go wait in my room” Ivy took her eyes from Brandon as she took a few steps back to then turn and leave the room. Stef turned her head from watching her walk out and saw the look on Brandon’s face “Yeah. You should feel bad”

Brandon didn’t comment. He couldn’t really say anything right now that would make the situation better.

Stef walked into her bedroom to see Ivy sat beside Lena on the bed. Taking deep breaths to try and calm herself down. As soon as Ivy saw Stef walk over she said “I’m sorry for my language”

Stef waved her hand “It’s fine, he kind of deserved it” she sat down on the bed facing Ivy and Lena, she gave a quick glance to her wife and then looked back to Ivy “Listen, love,I know you didn’t want me to ask but I  _ have _ to since I heard you say you lived in  _ fear _ ”

Lena’s head snapped to Ivy, who quickly tensed up, her knees went to her chest. Avoiding eye contact. Stef put her hand on Ivy’s leg and whispered “What happened to you, baby?”

Biting on her thumb nail, Ivy muttered “Stuff”

Lena tucked her hair behind her ear to try and get a clearer look of Ivy’s face “What  _ stuff _ , honey?”

Ivy took a deep breath, she gulped heavily and rested her head on her knees “Kath and Dylan didn’t keep nice company...in fact whenever they brought their friends round i would make sure that door was locked and one day I made a  _ foolish _ mistake in walking out of my bedroom”

_ One year earlier… _

_ Ivy sat in her bedroom on her seat in front of her computer. She looked at her homescreen which was of her family at Stef and Lena’s wedding, one of the many pictures that Stef sent to her. Tapping her pencil on her desk as she looked down to her sketch pad. Then reaching for her mini fridge and getting out a bottle of beer, one of the sixth she managed to swipe from the liquor store around the corner at the end of the street. She wasn’t proud of stealing, but it was the one thing she could do where she had control and sometimes she even prayed to get caught. _

_ She slapped her hand on the desk, thinking that the bottle opener was there was only felt an empty space, she turned and saw that it had gone. _

_ Ivy groaned and dropped her feet from the desk. Dylan must have come into her room and took it. She knew that Dylan had his friends round, but they were probably so focused on sorting out their drugs that they probably wouldn’t notice her getting the bottle opener from the drawer.  _

_ Ivy slowly unlocked the door and opened it, to see Dyan sat with four of his friends in the living room, doing exactly what she presumed they were doing. The music was so loud she was surprised that they could even hear each other. Ivy opened the kitchen drawer and found the bottle opener in there, at least he was organised in some sense. Dylan’s friends did get a look of her though, no matter where she went she always caught someone’s eye. Clearly, Ivy wearing a shirt that showed off her stomach made the men think that she was something to be touched. _

_ Eddie, one of Dylan’s closest friends walked over to her and stared. Ivy raised an eyebrow and looked to him “What?” _

_ Eddie shrugged “I’m just admiring the view” _

_ Ivy rolled her eyes and looked down to the bottle opener “Well, look outside the window, views are just as desirable” _

_ “I find that hard to believe” _

_ Ivy suddenly felt his hand grip onto her thigh, making her jump at first. Eddie was rumored to have tried and force himself on other girl’s, a lot of the girls were too scared to do anything. But something suddenly came over her. _

_ Ivy smiled sweetly “Hey which car is your outside?” _

_ Eddie cockily smirked “Black Range Rover that’s outside” _

_ Ivy nodded, almost pretending to flirt. She patted his chest and leaned into her bedroom, grabbing hold of the baseball bat that was by her door and walking out the apartment. She was followed by Dylan and the rest of his friends to outside. _

_ Eddie nervously chuckled “What’re you doing, baby?” _

_ Ivy shot him one last smile and then swung around and smashed the bat against the car. Breaking the side mirror and the side window. Eddie ran down the steps “What the fuc-” _

_ Ivy pointed the bat in his face “Touch me again and it won’t be the car I smash next time. If i hear about you going near another girl again without their consent I will personally make sure your ass get’s thrown in jail” Ivy lowered her bat down and barged past him. Walking up through the stairs, past his friends, Dylan grabbed hold of her arm. _

_ Ivy stared at him and quietly snarled “Are you going to look out for me or him?” _

_ Dylan, despite all his flaws and all his brutishness, deep down he was the only one out of him and Katherine that would look out for her. He let her go and watched her walk back up the stairs and back into their apartment. She practically sprinted into her room and locked it once again. _

Ivy sat back against the headboard of the bed, she saw how Stef and Lena’s eyes looked glazed due to their eyes filling up. She didn’t want sympathy which was one of the main reasons she didn’t tell them. It was silent between the three of them for a minute, before Lena gulp heavily and say in a dry voice “And what happened to that guy?”

“Eddie? He attacked another girl...almost killed her actually...so yeah he’s in prison”

“And what did Katherine have to say about this?” Stef asked.

Ivy scoffed and shrugged “She didn’t take notice. Dylan mentioned it but she didn’t care”

Stef looked to Lena and muttered as she lay back on the bed “Mother of the year”

Ivy nodded with a sigh and then lay back beside he “Tell me about it”

Lena looked at the pair of them and then couldn’t help but join in “Did any other guys harass you?”

Ivy rubbed her lips together and finally said “No Dylan’s friends kind of stayed away after that”

She felt both Stef and Lena take her hands as they all kept their eyes up to the ceiling. Stef turned her head to her Ivy “So did you and Nate work things out?”

Ivy shrugged, she closed her eyes and shook her head “For now I guess. But it is hard. Knowing that he has someone else, I guess I never really thought about that until I actually heard it”

“Who knows how long that will last though” Lena shrugged.

“I think we’d be kind of narrow minded to think that his relationship can’t work” Ivy ran her fingers through her hair and kept her hand above her head “I’m sure i won’t feel like this forever, one way or another I’ll have to move on should me and Nate not happen”

Stef turned and looked to Ivy, she saw the sadness in her eyes as she thought about it. Before she had the chance to say anything, Ivy shrugged it off and propped herself up on her elbows “Well I’m going to go and get some sleep” she leaned to one side to kiss Lena’s cheek and then leaned the other way to kiss Stef’s before hopping off of the bed and walking towards the door, calling to them “I love you”

“We love you too” Stef and Lena said in almost unison.  

Stef shifted her body closer to Lena and wrapped her arms around her waist. Lena kissed the top of Stef’s head as she heard her sigh “What’re we going to do?”

Lena nuzzled her head besides Stef’s “Protect her”

* * *

The next morning, Ivy was in her room as usual, shifting more things around. She couldn’t sleep all night, hence she had gotten up early and decided to try and take her mind off of things. A wooden TV stand that she ordered a few days ago arrived yesterday evening. With the shifting she had done this morning, she could finally put it in place. All she needed now was the TV. Ivy pushed back, against the wall and then out her hands on her hips as she stood up straight, nodding to herself as she gave a personal approval to her instincts that it was a good spot. 

It was in that moment where she heard someone at the door. Ivy turned her head and saw Jesus standing by the door, with a glum look on his face. At first she smiled “Hey” she looked to the stand and nodded “Looks good don’t you think?…”

Jesus just stared at her and remained quiet. Ivy looked back to him, she dropped her hands from her hips and rubbed them together as she walked towards him, tilting her head to him as she gave him a look of concern “You okay? What’s going on?”

Jesus sighed and finally spoke “I heard what you told moms last night. Bout that guy”

“You...you were eavesdropping?”

“I was going to my room, then I heard mom ask you why you lived in fear...after that i couldn’t exactly just ignore it”

Ivy sighed and looked down to the floor. She wanted as few of people as possible to find out things of her past. Especially the kids. Hearing Jesus then go on to say “It was you wasn’t it?”

Ivy looked back to him, not exactly following “It was me who what?”

Jesus gulped heavily “The girl he almost killed...it was you...”

Ivy’s breath shuddered, she gripped to the back of her neck, asking in a cracked voice "How did you-”

“It was just a hunch. By the way you said it...I was hoping I was wrong”

Ivy bowed her head down again, she pressed the palms of her hands together and against her lips, she then shot her head up and shook her head, suddenly beginning to panic “Please do not tell moms”

“But-”

"Jesus please” Ivy cried in a whisper, gripping onto his sweater, trying to find her words correctly “I-I just can’t cope with the look on their faces if they knew. They don’t need to know”

Jesus stared at her in silence “Ivy what happened?”

Ivy sighed and dropped her hands, running her fingers through her hair “He...does it really matter?”

“Yes it really matters! That guy tried to kill you”

“That guy failed” Ivy whispered. Jesus’s jaw clenched as he looked away. Ivy walked over and took hold of his hands “What he did was scary and horrible but it’s over. I don’t want to-I don’t  _ need  _ to share the ins and outs about it...I just want to move on”

“I’m just worried”

Ivy let out a tight smile and looked up to Jesus, shaking her head “You don’t need to. I’m a big girl. I took care of myself before-”

“You shouldn’t have to” Jesus muttered, putting his hands in his jean pockets and elaborating “You should have been able to be a teenager whilst you could. Be with your real family, go out with your boyfriend...y’know instead of staying in your room all the time”

Ivy smirked and quietly teased “The majority of teenagers do stay in their rooms”

Jesus rolled his eyes “Come on, Ivy, you know what I mean. I hate knowing the fact that you went through all that shit. You’re my best friend and...and my _sister_ and I love you” Ivy saw how he was getting more and more upset.

Ivy quickly pulled him in for a tight embrace, cradling his head, she let out a sigh “I love you too, listen Jesus, it’s not your job to take care of me though I appreciate it. The people who take care of us are moms. And with me legally being able to buy beers in three weeks” she paused and softly pumped her fist which got a laugh out of him, Ivy slapped her hand back down on his shoulder “I will be another adult in this house. Meaning  _ I  _ take care of  _ you _ . So don’t worry about me, I’m fine now”

“And what about this whole Nate thing? You’re fine with that?”

Ivy took a breath breath through her nose with a small smirk, popping her gum she shrugged and said as she flicked off the stray fabric on his sweater “Well in that case is when I’ll need my big strong cousin to catch me if-” she then laughed “Who am I kidding,  _ when _ I fall”

Jesus gave her a soft, sympathetic smile and nodded “Promise”

“Good” Ivy laughed, then shaking off the emotional atmosphere and gave him a nudge “Now go on you don’t want to be late for school”

Jesus lightly chuckled and stepped back, giving her a quick goodbye and then watched her go back into sorting her room out for a moment.

* * *

By the end of the school day. Ivy went to the school and waited for Mariana and Jesus outside. As promised, they went for their hang out on the beach. Jesus didn’t say a word to anyone what Ivy admitted to him. In fact, he went on with the day and with Ivy as if nothing happened. Which she appreciated.

“So do you still think you’re any good at catching a football?” Jesus asked as the three of them walked down the beach. With her arm over Mariana’s shoulder, she scoffed a laugh “Please. I’m the one who taught  _ you _ ”  

Jesus smirked as he dropped one of his backpack straps from his shoulder and opened it to take out a football. Ivy looked at it and muttered a laugh. She slid her arm down from Mariana and stepped in front of them as Jesus slapped his hand against the ball “Go deep”

Ivy dropped her jacket down to the side and clapped her hands “Give me your best shot, kid”

Mariana threw her hands up “Oh no. These nails cost money”

Ivy rolled her eyes and looked back to Jesus. He stuck his tongue out for a brief moment and then launched it at her, way above her height. Ivy leaped up in the air and caught it effortlessly, throwing it back at him straight away and winding him as it hit his stomach hard. Ivy bit her lip and giggled as Mariana high fived her and rocked their hands back and forth for a moment.

As Jesus picked himself up, Mariana looked to Ivy and then took a deep breath before saying “Can I ask you something?”

Ivy tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she picked up her jacket and they carried on walking “Sure” she swung her arm back over Mariana’s shoulder and stayed silent to listen. Mariana took another deep breath and asked “Why didn’t you come to Grandpa’s funeral?”

“Mariana!” Jesus scowled as he caught up to them. Ivy gulped heavily and dropped her arm once again to then fold them close to under her chest. Jesus scowled at her because he felt like the question would make Ivy feel uncomfortable, which it didn’t. But it did make her feel guilty.

Ivy glanced to them and saw the sad look on Mariana’s face as she added in a more gentle tone “Mom really needed you”

“I know, babe” Ivy nodded.

Mariana shrugged “Then why?”

Jesus then looked to Ivy, now a little bit intrigued himself. Ivy rubbed her forehead together and scoffed a light laugh “Well the car wasn’t fixed up for starters. Katherine practically forbade me into going, she didn’t see the point in going since Gramps disowned her after what she did” Ivy shrugged “And I don’t know. I was too scared to try anything else in case you guys got hurt...I told your mom that I wish I could be there with her and Grams, they understood”

The twins remained silent as they let what Ivy was saying sink in. Mariana nodded and then asked another question “The wedding?”

Once again Ivy couldn’t help but laugh “Do you really think Katherine would let me go to your moms’ wedding? I don’t even know why I tried fighting with that one. Was kind of worth the shiner I got” she didn’t realize that she even said those last words. They pretty much just blurted out, she also saw the shocked look on the twin’s faces. The fact Ivy said it in such a calm way instigated that getting hit was a regular thing. And on top of Jesus knowing what he knew, it just made things sound worse and worse.

“Listen guys. I’ve said this once and I’ll say it again. I’ll say it a million times if I had to. What happened to me in the past sucked, I went through a shitty time  _ but  _ it’s in the past. I want to move on, with my family” Ivy gave them both a bright smile. That was enough to lift up anyone’s spirits.

Mariana and Jesus finally cracked a smile. They accepted it. She was right, it was in the past. Ivy pulled Mariana close again and slapped Jesus’s arm “Now tell me about this Emma girl”

“She’s a friend”

Mariana put her fisted hand to her mouth and blurted in a cough “Ex girlfriend”

Ivy raised her eyebrows with a smirk and looked to Jesus “She’s an ex girlfriend”

Jesus rolled his eyes and scratched the back of his head “Yeah that too. But we’re just friends now”

“Really? Pretty sure you’re still into her”

Jesus raised an eyebrow “Really? Pretty sure you’re still into Nate”

Ivy pushed his head as they continued to stroll down the beach. Ivy put her hand on the top of Mariana’s head and asked as she leaned hers against it “Touche...So what’s this beau of _yours_ like?”

“Mat?”

“Unless you’ve got a few on the go” Ivy lightly chuckled. Mariana rolled her eyes and lightly slapped Ivy stomach, then letting out a laugh of her own as she began her sentence “Erm. He’s sweet, caring. A musician-”

Ivy then made a high pitched ‘hmm’ sound “You know what they about musicians. They don’t just make music in songs”

Jesus sang over her crude comment at the top of his lungs as Mariana laughed as she cringed and lightly pushed Ivy away. Ivy looked to Jesus “By the way before I forget you better keep your grades up if you want to carry on with wrestling”

Jesus rolled his eyes “Who said-”

“Moms asked me to talk to you about it. Not just because I’m younger but because I’ve been there. Not with the wrestling part but with the _ whole screw school  _ part”

Jesus and Mariana looked at her, wanting her to elaborate. Ivy sighed a small smile and then did so.

_ Stef hung up the phone from talking to Lena, as soon as she did so, Ivy came walking through the front door. Ivy looked to Stef who was sat in the dining room and sighed. She knew she was going to get in trouble, so she walked to the stairs to go straight to her room. _

_ “Ivy Isabella Elkin get back in here!” _

_ Ivy groaned and walked back downstairs, dropping her bag to the floor and walking into the dining room, sliding her hands in her jean pockets and stepped down into the dining room. Stef linked her hands together “So that was Lena” _

_ Ivy raised her eyebrows and nodded “Hm, what did my sweet aunt want?” _

_ Stef shook her head “Don’t sweet talk Ivy, why did you skip your classes?” _

_ “Cause I don’t need them” _

_ Stef raised her eyebrows to her “Really? Science, math and business class sound pretty important to me” _

_ Ivy shrugged “I don’t need them ones” _

_ Stef groaned a sigh and cleared her throat as she tried to gather the correct words to say to her “Ivy, you cannot just get through life with doing well in english. You need more than an english degree” _

_ “Such as?” _

_ “Such as...taking up film class and you need math and science even as a basics to know stuff for the things you write” _

_ “Aunt Stef, you’re a cop, you’re not an expert in writing” _

_ “I am also not an idiot or a bad parent who let’s her kid go off and do whatever, you are my responsibility. It’s my job to guide you and tell you things like school is important because it is. There’s more to life than Nate-” _

_ “Nate didn’t have anything to do with this?” Ivy shook her head as her eyebrows pinched together. Stef gave her a frown and a sigh, she slowly pushed back the chair beside her with her foot “He was with you” _

_ Ivy rolled her eyes and sat down in the chair. Stef wasn’t blaming Nate, she liked Nate a lot. He wasn’t the issue. But they were like magnets, if she moved he went with her. And then if he moved she went with him. _

_ “Nate isn’t the issue….” Ivy muttered, looking to her fingernails. The way she said it, it meant to Stef that even if Nate wasn’t the issue. It was something else. Stef leaned forward and placed her hand over Ivy’s “Then what is it? Talk to me baby-” _

_ “My mom” Ivy blurted out, then let out a shaking sigh. Stef heart broke as she saw the sad look on Ivy’s face, Stef then took her other hand. Ivy took her tearful eyes to Stef’s sympathetic expression as she heard her say “What about her?” _

_ “It’s just...it makes me feel like there is no point in me trying to achieve anything when my own mother doesn’t want me. That I’m some mistake-” _

_ “Stop” Stef whispered “Stop talking about yourself like that. You’re one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me. Don’t ever think you’ll amount to nothing because you can be anything you want to be. Katherine isn’t your mother because she doesn’t deserve that title. If she doesn’t want you, that doesn’t matter because I want you and so does Lena. Isn’t that enough?” _

_ Ivy stared into Stef eyes for a moment and whimpered “It is...and Nate told me that I shouldn't turn my back on school. He just went with me because he didn't want me to be alone” _

_ “Well then I suppose I should be thanking him for making sure you’re okay” Stef nodded, then looking down at their linked hands again “I just want you to do well, for your own good not for mine” _

_ Ivy took a deep breath “I’m sorry. I’ll do better” _

_ Stef smiled and winked as she whispered “Good. And if I hear about you skipping anymore classes I’ll ground your ass” _

Ivy tucked her hair behind her ear and rounded off with “So kiddies the moral of the story there is no matter what you are going through. Whether it’s birth mothers, girlfriends or boyfriends, arguments between friends or family. It’s important that you don’t just stick your fingers up to those who try to help you, school included” Ivy looked to Jesus and raised her eyebrows to him “Understood?”

Jesus shrugged “You got through things fine”

“I got this job at the school because I got lucky. If I could go back and live out school again I would and it’s rare that I admit to things like that, if I had never left I would have gotten the grades I wanted. This school is one of the best so don’t blow it off”

Jesus took into account what she was saying and held his hands up “Okay”

“Good. Now. Let’s carry on with this football”


	8. Chapter 8

Monday came quicker than Ivy even expected. She kept herself busy all week with her decorating that the days just flew by. But things were going well. She had her room all done and now she was starting this new job. She was actually kinda proud of herself from being so productive. 

That morning. Ivy couldn’t decide whether she was feeling nervous or not. It was a whole mix of emotion. But she was good with people. She was good with teenagers. As long as those teenagers aren’t Brandon. But other than that she was good.

Mariana knocked on her door before peeking her head in and then gasping “You look hot!”

Ivy giggled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear “Can’t tell whether that is the kind of look I want to go for since I’ll be teaching”

“You could try a nun outfit. But you’d still look good in that”

Ivy raised her eyebrows to her “With compliments and a face like that it’s no wonder you’ve got a boyfriend”

Mariana laughed and then pointed to the house “Mom sent me out here, breakfast is ready and we’ve gotta go soon”

Ivy ran her fingers through her hair and looked at herself once more in the mirror to then turn back around and walk out of the room with Mariana. When she walked into the kitchen, she was welcomed by the gleaming smiles of her proud family looking at her.

“Here she is” Lena quietly sang as Ivy rolled her eyes with an embarrassed smile. Walking over and sitting at the table as Stef put an omelette on her plate. Ivy raised an eyebrow and asked in a small whisper “Is this safe?”

Stef mocked a gasp and nudged her shoulder “Screw teaching you should have gone into comedy”

Ivy smirked and began to tuck into her omelette as she was soon bombarded with question. First one was Mariana “So are you going to be in all of our classes?”

“The ones that have Timothy will have me”

That was everyone apart from Jude, who still had another year and she probably wasn’t still going to be around at school. That is for now anyway. Ivy then looked to Jude and pointed at him with her fork “But I’ll still be seeing you around there”

“Yeah she’ll be making time for plenty of people” Jesus muttered with a small smirk. Ivy slapped his arm and whispered “Stop that”

Ivy hadn’t really given herself the chance to think about what it was going to be like being in the same environment again with Nate always been there. She knew what he was going to be like, he was going to ask her if she wanted to have lunch with him nearly everyday because that’s the kind of guy he was. Looking out for her. But the thing he won’t be able to grasp is that Ivy is deep down hurting at the fact that she had missed a chance with him.

But she wouldn’t let that get her down. There was more to her life than her love life. In fact her love life was part of the reason she never wanted to see San Francisco again, for every wrong reason.

* * *

Ivy arrived in the school and walked down the hall to get to Timothy’s room. Which she knew just fine, after all this used to be her  _ playground _ . As she walked past, she caught a lot of attention.

One of Jesus’s wrestling buddies, Robbie, slapped him on the back as Ivy walked near them.

“Dude. Hot new teacher”

Jesus looked up and turned to see his cousin walked down the hall. She smiled and gave him a quick wink as she lightly slapped his cheek “Don’t make me look bad” she whispered.

Jesus laughed and then turned to see Robbie's jaw practically on the floor “Dude are you banging a teacher?”

Jesus cringed and shook his head as he slammed his locker shut, slapping Robbie’s arm and whispering “She’s my cousin” he put his bag on his shoulder and began to walk away, then looking back over his shoulder to him and calling back “Keep away”

Ivy walked into the classroom to find that it was empty. But Timothy’s bag was on his chair so she presumed that he would be back soon. Ivy noticed that there was a desk at the front beside Timothy’s which she presumed was where she would be going. As she put her bag down on the table and took a sip out of her coffee cup, she heard the door open. Ivy looked to the side and saw her old math teacher, John Peters walk in the room.

Ivy wasn’t exactly his best or favorite student in the past, with the whole skipping it from time to time and she and Nate would just be absolute clowns. He was just lucky that Milo and Lottie were in a separate one else he really would have had trouble. John tilted his head and looked at her oddly “I thought it was you when I walked past. Miss Elkin”

“Mr Peters” Ivy grinned.

John sighed and shook his head “I must admit. Thought I’d seen the back of both you and Troit”

Ivy raised her eyebrows with a smug smirk written across her face “Looks like we have a habit in creeping back into your life ey, Peters”

“So what’d you do now, Elkin? Arrested often?”

“Only on weekends” Ivy dryly joked “I’m a writer. I’m also now a teacher, I’m doing a joint teaching class this semester with Timothy”

John stared at her in silence for a moment “You’re serious?”

Ivy shrugged with a small smile. She understood how he’d find it hard to believe. The slacker in his class was now a teacher? Rather ironic. Especially since her partner in crime was exactly the same. John rolled his eyes and sighed out “Oh the joy. Elkin and Troit back at it again”

Ivy rubbed her lips together and looked down to her desk. The one thing that ran through her mind was  _ ‘Well...not exactly’  _ but she said nothing of the sort and gave him a smug smirk as she mocked “It’s going to be a pleasure working with you.  _ John _ ”

The teachers here when she was in this school were half and half. Some wanted to be called in the formal way with Mr and Miss. But some liked it when you called them by their first name such as Timothy. John Peters was type A.

It was enough to make Ivy have a challenge on her hands to try and not laugh at his disapproving face.

Then, speaking of the devil. Nate knocked on and walked into the classroom with a wide grin on his face, then looked to John and nodded “John”

“Mr Triot. We were just talking about you”

Nate turned midway in his walk over to Ivy “Yeah? All good I hope” he heard Ivy choke a small laugh behind him and put the palm of her hand over her mouth. John gave them a slight scowl and then left them alone. Nate chuckled as he turned around to her “He’s going to resign I can feel it”

“Well the class of 2010 would be thanking us then”

“Along with the class of 2015” Nate smirked, he soon scooped her up and hugged her tightly “Good to see you”

Ivy smiled and wrapped her arms around him, soaking in every single second until that little voice in her head said  _ ‘He isn’t yours anymore’  _ she knew it was just a hug. But it was always ‘just a hug’. Ivy pulled away and gave him another tight smile “You too”

Nate stared at her for a moment and then shook off her mesmerizing smile “So are you nervous about it?”

“A little. But I adapt to situation quite well”

Nate nodded and then said “Hey I got you something here” he dug into his back pocket and brought out a pencil. Ivy raised an eyebrow and then went to laugh at him. But then she realized what it was. Ivy didn’t mean to snatch it out of his hand but she did it anyway and stared at it. The dents and engraving of  _ ‘I.E’  _ and the chipped paint.

Then she did laugh “You kept this?”

“I promised I’d give it back to you”

“Yeah. Five years ago” Ivy laughed. Nate shrugged and nodded to her “I’m a man of my word”

Ivy smiled and held it up before putting it on the desk “Well, I’ll keep that in mind”

“That I’m a man of my word?”

“No that you’re a freaking dork I can’t believe you kept a tiny red pencil with you for five years”

Nate raised his eyebrows and then whispered “I even had it in the glovebox of my car this whole time”

Ivy raised her eyebrows and whispered “Wow...you’re still driving that junk wagon”

Nate shrugged “Back seats are still in perfect condition”

Ivy laughed and slapped his chest as she stood up from leaning against the desk and taking hold of her cup of coffee. She and Nate never had sex, but they weren’t strangers to fooling around in the backseat of his car when he got it for his 16th birthday. It's not that they didn’t want to, they did, but Ivy was hesitant. The paranoia that played in her head, she was just waiting for the right time. But she was taken away before the right time even happened. 

“So how are things with this Lauren girl?”

Nate scratched the back of his head “They’re….  _ meh _ . To be honest before you arrived I was thinking about ending things”

Ivy felt a set of butterflies burst out into her stomach “What? Why?”

Nate shrugged “I don’t know. She’s always around”

Ivy rolled her eyes and couldn’t help but laugh at him “That is the most _guy_ excuse I’ve ever heard, Nathan. If we don’t spend enough time with you we aren’t paying enough attention to you but if we do want to spend a lot of time with you then it’s clingy”

Nate tilted his head to her and rotated his wrist round as he said “Can’t it also be the other way around?”

“Sure but that’s kind of rare. We usually like the attention. Just not when they go all psycho” Ivy muttered, glancing down to her desk. Nate raised an eyebrow “Psycho?”

“Nothing-look the point I’m trying to make is…” she couldn’t even believe she was saying this, but she had already started now. She quickly took a sharp turn in her route of conversation and just finished it quickly “All I’m saying is don’t be a jackass. It’s not in your blood” she gave him a soft smile which ultimately made him do the same.

“I know better than to not take your advice on board”

“Why’re you a teacher by the way? Last time I checked you couldn’t wait to get out of this place?”

Nate leaned his hands against the desk and shrugged “Well I tore the ligaments in my left leg after I had an accident on my bike and couldn’t play basketball anymore...not properly anyway, so if I couldn’t play in the pros why not teach?”

Ivy stared at him with a smile and teased again in a whisper “There should be a play”

“Oh shut up” Nate laughed.

“Joking aside, that’s great. I’m proud of you because god knows that your step-dad must be even more of an ass”

“I’m just waiting for him to croke so I can take the lead coach position”

Ivy raised her eyebrows and crossed her fingers which only made him laugh more. The school bell soon rang, with Timothy coming in as soon as it did.

“Nate. Hi” Timothy grinned as he walked into the classroom, then looking to Ivy “Sorry I was just in the staff room”

“It’s fine” Ivy waved her hand to him. Nate looked to her and raised his eyebrows as he whispered “Good luck”

“Thanks” Ivy lightly laughed as she watched him walk out of the classroom as the students walked in. Callie being in the the first member of her family to be a student to her. Callie gave her a subtle smile as she sat down. Having the other students looking at her, rather confused. Some of them saw her walking down the halls but to be honest they thought she was a student.

“Alright class. As you can see we have a guest with us in the class. This is Ivy Elkin, I’m sure one of you are familiar with her” Timothy smiled as he looked to Callie and then carried on “Ivy will be my  _ right hand woman _ during this semester for our creative writing course”

Ivy gave them a tight smile and gave a small wave “Hey everyone”

“Tell them a little bit about yourself” Timothy muttered under his breath to her. Ivy looked to Timothy and nodded “Okay so, yeah I went to anchor beach myself. I’ve been writing all my life so I’ve learnt some tricks along the way that can help you guys with your creative writing so I’m always here if anyone needs a hand or questions” Ivy shrugged and then remembered

“Oh. Yeah what Timothy was implying before, I am Callie’s cousin”

Callie felt her fellow peers all take the time to glance to her. A student then raised her hand, Ivy softly smiled and pointed to her.

“So you’re like the vice’s niece?”

“Yeah that’s how it works out”

Then another girl asked “Are you like adopted? Cause you look like the blond one”

Ivy raised her eyebrows with a smirk “I’m the _ blond one’s _ niece. By blood that is”

Timothy clapped his hands together “Okay now that we have that introduction done. Let’s get on with it”

That didn’t go bad at all. She just had a lot more to do.

* * *

When lunch hit. Ivy stepped outside into the back. She saw Nate sat alone and wasn’t quite sure whether he was sat alone because he was waiting for her or if he just sits alone all the time at lunch. There was no harm in her having lunch with him. Ivy went to walk towards the table but then she saw a young woman sneak up behind him and cover his eyes with the palm of her hands. Going out on the hunch, she’d say that was Lauren. Ivy heard her giggle from the distance as she wrapped her arms around him from behind and kissed his cheek. Nate put on a convincing fake laugh and looked to her. She stood up straight and held out her hand. Wanting to go for a walk whilst he was on his break. 

Ivy quickly moved away so Nate didn’t see her when he stood up, because she noticed how he looked over to see if she was there. Luckily he didn’t see her. She wished that she didn’t see him, seeing him walk off hand in hand with her on the beach.

This was him trying to not be a jackass and give it a shot, she can tell. Damn her stupid advice. She shouldn’t have said anything, she should have just went along with him thinking about breaking up with her. This was Stef’s fault. She raised her too nice.

She thought hearing Nate say he had a girlfriend was the thing that hurt. But it was seeing it. Looking at him with someone else in front of her eyes hurt more than she thought. She would always say how she’d feel like death if she saw him with someone else. But then again she just thought that was her melodramatic sixteen year old self saying it, but no, she actually felt her heart ache a little bit at the sight.

They had never seen each other with someone else before. It sucked. Ivy walked back in the school and decided to not eat outside. She instead when into Lena’s office who was eating a salad she made at home along with going through her phone. She looked up as Ivy walked to through the door.

“Hey, bear”

Ivy ran her fingers through her hair and gave her a smile, then putting her bag of lunch on the coffee table and dropping herself down on the couch. Lena looked to her when she heard Ivy let out a deep breath. She put her fork down in her bowl “Everything alright?”

Ivy then ran both of her hands through her hair as she pulled off her boots and put her knees to her chest. She put her arms on her knees and then rested her head on top “Yeah I just…” she cleared her throat “I just saw Nate with his girlfriend”

Lena frowned as she turned her chair round to face her properly “I’m sorry honey”

“I guess it’s kinda my fault” Ivy said with an airy laugh “He said he was thinking about ending it with her and I told him if it’s not for a decent reason don’t be a jackass. The hell is wrong with me?”

“You’re a good person” Lena shrugged.

“Yeah. I blame you two” Ivy whined as she mocked a sob and pressed her forehead into her arm. Lena let out a small laugh and walked over to her, she sat down beside Ivy and pulled her close “Oh honey. You couldn’t of held it off forever, you were bound to see it someday”

“I know” Ivy groaned a sigh as she dropped her feet down onto the floor, she blew a brief raspberry “I was hoping she was at least bad looking”

Ivy looked to Lena and shook her head “But she ain’t. She’s pretty”

“Well  _ you’re  _ beautiful” Lena said as she pressed her forehead against.

“You have to say that”

“Doesn’t mean it isn’t true”

Ivy lifted her head up and muttered “Okay this is way too sentimental for the time of the day” Lena smirked and then rubbed Ivy’s back as she leaned forward and grabbed her lunch, she saw how Ivy was trying to put on a front and was really hurt by all of this. Lena stared at her and didn’t push but she did try to make Ivy feel a little bit better by saying “You know you can always talk about it to me or mom”

Ivy scratched the top of her lip and cleared her throat “Yeah, I know” she turned to Lena and softly smiled “Thanks. I’ll be fine I’ve seen it now, it was just that whole seeing it first time”

“I understand”

Ivy looked down to her wrap and took a bite out of it, just picturing him with someone else was enough to make her lose her appetite.

* * *

When the whole family was home, over dinner they began to discuss an event that was soon fast approaching.

“We need to have a party, right” Jesus said as he scoffed down his taco.

Ivy shrugged “It’s not up to me” she shifted her eyes to Stef and Lena with her eyebrows raised “Guys?”

Stef and Lena hardly had to have a discussion about this, they just glanced a smile to each other before turning back around and Stef saying “Yes of course we can have a party, it isn’t everyday our girl turns twenty one”

Ivy let out a grin and then turned her head to Mariana as she let out a giddy gasp and clapped her hands “We need a theme!”

Ivy swayed her head side to side “Do we?”  

Mariana stopped her excited dance in her stool and frowned at her “Yes we do. Themed parties are always great”

Callie raised her eyebrows to Ivy and nodded at Mariana’s point. Stef then pointed her fork to Ivy for a moment as said “Your favorite music in the world is fifties rock and roll. We could have that as a theme”

Lena then added “Yeah, Mike mentioned that he had a juke box locked away in storage we can have that out and everyone can dress up like…” Lena looked to Stef for some guidance on famous people. Ivy raised her eyebrows and laughed “Elvis Presley?”

“Hey what about the girls?” Mariana raised an eyebrow, Ivy looked to her and shrugged “Suppose get something like the pink ladies from grease. Or use that little thing on your phone call google”

Mariana did so straight away, with Callie looked at it over her shoulder. They smiled as they saw the styles “Okay I am  _ so  _ on board with this now” she looked back up to Ivy “I mean it’s up to you”

“No, no a fifties themed party actually sounds kind of perfect, sounds right up my alley if I’m being totally honest”

Stef then said “By the way we called Grams and she’s going to be here for your birthday, she’s sorry that she couldn’t come down sooner but she’s hand some kind of dilemma up in florida”

Ivy couldn’t begin to explain how happy that news had made her. She had missed Sharon with all of her heart, an overwhelmed smile plastered across her face as she said in an emotional whisper “Thank you. Dena and Stuart will be there too right? They’re just as much my grandparents than she is”

“Of course, I’ll call them tonight” Lena smile softly.

Jesus clapped his hands together and pumped his fist in the air “Two weeks on friday and we’ll be having the party of the year”

“Exaggerate much” Brandon muttered in a laugh.

Jesus popped his gum and ignored him, leaning down on the table he muttered to Ivy, leaning to her “You going to invite, Nate?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I’ll be inviting Milo, Lottie and Nate. They were my best friends”

Jesus shrugged and nodded as he saw her point and then added “What about his girlfriend?”

“I’ll just say he can bring a plus one…and hopefully he can do some maths and minus” Ivy cleared her throat and took a hold of her taco again. 

* * *

Later on that night, Ivy gave Nate a call.

The first words from him being  _ “Wow you gave me your real number?” _

Sitting down on the couches at the side of the kitchen, Ivy let out a small laugh with a confused face “Of course I did why wouldn’t I?”

_ “Or are you forgetting the time when on your fifteen birthday?” _

Ivy let out a breathless giggle and she put her hand on the back of her neck and looked down to the couch  _ “Yeah I thought so. You gave me your Aunt Stef’s number instead so when I called and asked her out on a date she was pretty confused” _

Ivy’s laugh went a little louder and then shook her head “It was an honest mistake”

Nate let out a small laugh  _ “Alright, Elkin so what’s up?” _

“Well I assume, you  _ better  _ know that my birthday is two weeks on saturday”

_ “Of course I knew that, what do you take me for?” _

Ivy shrugged “A guy” she paused and laughed at his gasp and then continued “I’m teasing, no so anyway yeah we’re having a party at my house and I was wondering if you wanted to come”

_ “Yeah I’d love to. Is this invite extending to Milo?” _

Ivy nodded, she almost forgot those two were roommates she only remembered Nate mentioning it during their catch up dinner “Yes it is. And anyone can bring a plus one”

_ “Right. Cool okay. We’ll be there for sure” _

“Good...that was basically it. I actually have to go and help Mariana she’s looking at outfits for this thing already-oh yeah I forgot to say it’s a fifties themed party”

Nate then laughed  _ “Hardly surprising. I’ll do my best to look like Elvis. We both know if there’s one guy you loved more than me it was him” _

“Not  _ more _ . Equal”

_ “Comforting thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow” _

“Yeah. Bye” Ivy whispered. She hung up the phone and then rested her head in her hand as she stared into space and got lost in thought. It’s going to be hard trying to have fun with Nate with his girlfriend strapped to his hip. If she’s anything like Jesus had described her sister like, then she’s in for a terrible time.

But as usual. She just had to bite her lip and get on with it. 


	9. Chapter 9

The next two weeks flew by. Dena and Stuart said they were of course coming to the party and see Ivy again. They had missed her. Ivy just wished that Frank could be here, then she would have had her whole family with her. But this was still good. This was still great in fact.

Ivy had invited Milo, Lottie and Nate of course. They all responded and said they’d be there. Ivy had seen Milo within these two weeks when she visited Stef at the police station and see would see Lottie at the party since she doesn’t get back till the night before. She said to the kids that they could bring people if they wanted. Which really just turned into a couple fest. Mariana invited Mat, Callie was bringing AJ. Jesus asked Emma but as  _ friends  _ since she is playing hard to get. Jude invited Connor and Brandon, well he didn’t really know who to invite, Mat was his friend so he was already going to be there, and his friend who he had a crush on, Courtney that he worked at the club with couldn’t make it because she couldn’t find a babysitter for her son. Lou was back from tour, they were friends so he invited her.

Other than that, she invited some old school friends that she had lost touch with but still found that they were close in the end. Then Mike and Ana who she has learned that the twins have forgiven for everything that she has put them through.

It wasn’t going to be huge but still it was going to be enough.

Saturday morning, Ivy was slowly woken up when she heard the whispering of her family as they walked into her bedroom. Then hearing them whisper “One...two...three”

Ivy then felt seven bodies jump on her bed and her body. She pinched her eyebrows together and softly groan as she opened her eyes and looked to them all. They all then cheered in unison “Happy Birthday”

Ivy let out a soft giggle and pushed herself up in her bed, her back rested against the headboard “Thanks you guys”

Jude then nudged Lena “Mama, give it to her”

Ivy raised an eyebrow “Give me what?”

Lena and Stef leaned down and together put a rather large and relatively heavy box on her lap. Ivy looked down at it and then looked at Stef and Lena, with a confused and slightly nervous chuckle. Ivy lifted the box up and felt the air get caught in her throat.

“You mentioned that you’ve wanted one for years. So we thought what better to give than this” Stef said, Ivy put her hands across the Crosley record player. It was tanned brown with dark brown markings over it, the pattern of the carvings were exactly matching to her personality. Bohemian. She then opened it and saw that the inside of the ‘lid’ of the record player was covered in a medallion design.

She had never come across one like this before, it was by far the most beautiful and the most matching to her. She grinned and looked up to them “Guys this is insane, thank you so much I love it” she leaned forward and kissed their cheeks. She wasn’t an idiot she knew how much these things cost which made her even more grateful.

“Now all I gotta do is buy myself some records and I’ll be-”

Then suddenly, a bag landed on her bed from Callie. Ivy raised her eyebrow once again and pulled the bag close to her, then hearing Mariana say “There’s not much but…”

Ivy opened the bag and saw three records.  _ Elvis Presley Platinum Collection. The Breakfast Club Soundtrack,  _ which is only her favourite movie of all time. She used to get in trouble a lot for letting little Mariana and Jesus watching it with her, it was far too inappropriate, and finally  _ Amy Winehouse: Back to Black.  _ They knew her so well it was insane. This was her heaven.

She looked up to her cousins and Jesus said “We all chipped in and went for the ones you’d love best”

“Well you were right” Ivy grinned “Thank you guys. You didn’t have to do this, a card would have been more than I’ve ever got in these past five years” she lightly laughed.

“You deserved to be spoiled every once in awhile” Stef winked.

* * *

Ivy really went all out with this party. Her hair up, some strands falling at her face with a red bandanna to match her ruby red lipstick. She had a cropped light blue shirt that tied together, showing off some of her toned stomach as she wore high waisted black skinny jeans and heels. As far as looks go, she was certainly pulling this one off.

There was an hour before people were arriving. But before that, there were a few more family members to arrive. Ivy was in her room, with the door opened she heard “Where’s my eldest granbaby!”

Ivy looked up from her record player (which she has had on all day and did not get sick of the repeats at all)  a watery grin wrote across her face. She turned around and ran out of the room, racing to the kitchen. Sharon looked up and held out her hands “Come here baby”

Ivy’s smile never faded, she ran and practically jumped into Sharon’s arms, even if she was quite a bit smaller than her. It was an impulse. Sharon wrapped her arms around Ivy’s waist and squeezed onto her tightly “Oh, my little love is finally home”

Ivy shut her eyes tightly as tears ran down her cheeks “Hi grams”

Sharon put her hand on the back of Ivy’s head “Aw I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it sooner”

“Doesn’t matter, you’re here now” Ivy pulled back and looked at her up and down, then letting out a small laugh “Did you dress like you’re from the fifties all the way from florida?”

“You bet your ass I did”

Ivy smiled and kissed Sharon’s head as she hugged her once again, rocking her from side to side.

Fifteen minutes later, Dena and Stuart arrived. Throwing their arms in the air and hugging her together, saying how much they missed her and how beautiful she was looking, that any boy she had her sights set on would surely drop to her feet for her. If only it could be that easy.

The back yard look amazing. It had the juke box Mike had brought, the bar was all set up. Big 21 at the top of the dancefloor. It was awesome.

Ivy was in the kitchen, pouring the punch into a large bowl when Mariana, who looked like she was an extra from Grease walked over to her “So are you nervous? Bout meeting Nate’s girlfriend and all?”

Ivy shrugged as she looked up from the bowl “I’ve just got to grit my teeth I guess”

Mariana raised her eyebrows and put a piece of red licorice in her mouth “You’re a better person than I am. I couldn’t do it”

“It’s just being grown up” Ivy shrugged.

“Still”

Ivy laughed and took the bowl in her hands before taking it outside and over to the bar.

When it hit 7:30. That’s when people began to roll in. There were more people here than she thought, on paper it didn’t seem like that many. Within the mix of the group was the friend that Ivy was yet to be reunited with, Lottie.

Lottie was a little taller than Ivy, she had curves to die for. Gorgeous brown hair that came up to her shoulders, though Ivy remembers when it would literally be down to her ass when they were younger. She was a pure natural beauty, in fact Ivy always insisted she went into modelling but instead she followed her dreams and worked at a record label, she had a long way to go before she would get to where she wanted to be, but she loved it still.

Lottie became best friends with Nate and Ivy when they went into 8th grade. Lottie took on the bossy role and suited it perfectly. Whilst Ivy stuck with the free spirited hippy edgy vibe. When locking eyes to her, in her mocking outfit of a greaser girl, she sprinted in her rather high heeled boots and called “Come here gorgeous”

People made a  _ run way  _ for her as Ivy turned around with a grin on her face and a laugh as she held her arms out and caught her as she leaped into her arms. The two young women let out muffled giggles as they buried their faces in the crook of each other’s neck. Lottie pressed her lips forcefully against Ivy’s cheek before getting back down on her own two feet, with her hands clutched to Ivy’s arms, she looked at Ivy up and down “Oh my god. You’re so sexy”

“You don’t look too bad yourself, have you had your teeth whitened?”

Lottie grinned and showed her pearly white teeth “Just a touch up on them”

“God I missed you” Ivy laughed and hugged her again. Lottie looked around her “God the kids have all gotten so tall. Jesus is-”

“Still five years younger than us” Ivy said, slapping Lottie’s arm. Lottie laugh as she put her hand on the now wounded area “I know. I have a boyfriend remember”

“Where is he tonight?”

Lottie rolled her eyes “Either late or won’t be able to make it. But enough about that what’s going on with you?” Lottie put her arm around Ivy’s shoulder “What’s been happening since you’ve been back?”

Ivy blew a small raspberry “Well. I now live in the garage”

“Mm-hm”

“Brandon still can’t stand me”

“Mm-hm”

“I am now working at the school-oh and Nate has a girlfriend but other than that-” Lottie then stopped and faced her, with her jaw practically on the floor, Ivy raised her eyebrows “You didn’t know about the girlfriend-”

“No of course I knew about the girlfriend she never stops bugging me for double dates” Lottie briefly rolled her eyes and then took her face back to being surprised “What I mean is this job thing. You’re working at the school...with Nate”

Ivy shrugged and shook her head “It’s not exactly with him”

Lottie let out a stiff laugh with an entertained look on her face “Oh god she’s going to love that”

Ivy crossed her arms “Should I be worried? I invited her tonight, well I said he could bring someone”

Lottie shrugged, rolling her eyes once again “You’ll be okay. I think she’s a little scared of me so I doubt she’d try and be a bitch. Plus it’s your birthday so” Lottie then put her hand on Ivy’s arm “By the way, totally buying you a late gift but I did just get back last night so”

“You’re forgiven”

Lottie grinned and then let out a satisfied sigh “God you have no idea how great it is to have you back. I’ve missed you, Ivy, having to deal with those two boys by myself for the past five years has made me not want children. Being with those two through college” Lottie shuddered and cringed.

“Yeah well from what I’ve heard you and Milo enjoyed each other in college” Ivy muttered as she looked down to the dance floor before making eye contact with her friend again. Lottie stared at her and stumbled on what to say, she looked straight ahead “Ancient history”

Lottie then saw the two young men walk into the garden “Speaking of history, yours has just walked in”

Ivy looked over and saw Nate stood by Milo. Ivy stared at him up and down, he had his hair slicked up like Elvis, along with what he was wearing, she couldn’t help but mutter a laugh and say to Lottie “He’s dressed like-”

“Army Elvis. Yeah I know. I told him to”

Ivy looked to her and raised her eyebrows to Lottie “Wha- _ why _ ?”

Lottie looked at her and raised an eyebrow of her own “He’s a turn on for you”

“Oh my god” Ivy sighed, looking away from from him and rubbed her forehead. Lottie stared at her for a moment and then looked to Nate and laughed “What? I’m not wrong”

“He has a girlfriend” Ivy said in a slow whisper, with an amused smirk still on her face, she shook her head “Am I the only one who hasn’t forgotten that?”

Lottie smirked again, and slid one hand in her pocket and the other in Ivy’s hand “Come on”

The young women made their way over to the only men in their lives. Milo grinned as they came forward and muttered to Nate “She looks hot”

Then he took her by the hand and pulled her in for a hug “Hiya darlin’ you look sensational” Ivy kissed his cheek as he kissed hers “Thank you, you don’t look too bad yourself. Stud”

Milo smirked and his eyes fell to Lottie. They dated in college for nearly two year and broke up because they wanted different lives, now they just bicker and tease. Sexual heat never died out. Lottie looked over to him and nodded her head to the bar. Milo got the picture “Well I need a drink. Lots?”

“Yep” she nodded, giving a wink to Nate and making her way over to the bar. Milo kissed the top of Ivy’s head and whispered “Happy birthday”

Milo and Lottie walked over to the bar. Where Callie, Mariana, Jesus, Stef and Lena were all purposely standing to try and subtly spy. Ivy stood in front of Nate and let out a light laugh as she looked at him up and down “Lottie put you up to this”

Nate looked down at himself “Well yeah kind of. I also know how much you love the dude so”

“Well that’s very sweet of you” Ivy said, trying her best not to look flustered but Lottie wasn’t lying when she said Elvis, especially in his army uniform was a turn on for her. Nate smirked as he subtly checked her out “You look gorgeous by the way. You pull of this era almost too well” he joked a suspicious face.

Ivy raised her eyebrows and mocked “Ah yes, it’s some of that captain america serum, I’m secretly ninety four”

Nate laughed and shook his head “It’s little things like that”

“What?”

“What I’ve missed so much about you” he said, gazing into her eyes “Happy birthday by the way, Ives” he then pointed behind him “I left you my gift in the kitchen”

“You didn’t have to get me anything”

Nate shrugged “I know. Milo got you something too but I can’t guarantee it’ll be appropriate for anyone’s eyes, you know how he’s like with his dirty jokes”

Ivy glanced to him checking out Lena’s ass and let out a breathless laugh “Yes I do” she looked over his shoulder and asked “So where’s this girl of yours?”

He was waiting for her to ask him that, Nate cleared his throat and bowed his head down for a moment before saying to her “We broke up”

_ ‘Best. Birthday. Ever’ _

Of course she didn’t say that out loud “Aw no, Nate, I’m sorry what happened?”

“Don’t be sorry” Nate shook his head with a laugh “It was a relief. I tried like you suggested but she’s...kind of nuts”

Ivy giggled and slid her hands in the back of her pockets “Yeah well. Jesus said her sister is just the same”

“We both had a lucky escape then” Nate said as he looked over to her family. They were being clear as day in what they were doing that Nate couldn’t help but laugh again, but Ivy, Ivy just kept her eyes on him. Until he looked back to her, Ivy snapped out of her gaze and smiled “Drink?”

“Sure”

* * *

Ivy and Nate didn’t spend the whole night together, in fact it was like they went back to being nervous teenagers and kind of kept a distance at some point in the night. Neither of them knew what the other wanted, which was the same thing. Each other. Ivy sat down beside Emma at the bar. She wanted to get to know the girl that Jesus speaks so highly of.

“So what went down between you and my cousin?” Ivy asked as she took a sip from her rum, the same one that Stef bought her two weeks ago as a gift for getting a job. Emma glanced to Jesus shrugged “It was kind of stupid really, he just said some things that made me put my guard up”

“Mm did he put his foot in it” Ivy asked in a soft yet blunt tone, as if she already knew the answer, which she did. Emma nodded and Ivy added in the same voice “And then tried to cover it all up but just continued to make more mess?” again knowing she was right.

Emma nodded with an amused smirk “Yep”

“Uh-huh that sounds right”

“You’re good at that” Emma laughed. Ivy shrugged and pointed to Nate “He used to do it constantly”

Emma looked to Nate, who was dancing with Sharon. He was still adored by this family. Emma looked at him a little surprised. She thought he was the type of guy who would know what to say to girls all the time “He strikes me as being smooth”

“Of course he would” Ivy leaned forward and said with a loving smile “Just look at him”

Emma looked Ivy and watched her look at Nate in a way she didn’t even know was possible. The only people that look at each other like that was Stef and Lena. Who describe Ivy and Nate’s relationship as a hetero version as them. For on the love. Two the interracial part. Emma then questioned “And you two never broke up?”

“Never. I got mad the first few times but you just have to brush it off” Ivy looked back to Emma and smiled “Cause if you really think you could or do love him, you put it aside”

Emma stared at her for a moment before bowing her head down and laughing due to getting embarrassed. Ivy softly giggled and rubbed her arm “Relax Emma. You guys will figure out what you want soon enough, don’t put pressure on yourself. But I will say this. He does think the world of you”

Suddenly, a familiar song came on. One that made Ivy turn her head, look over to the DJ stand and saw Milo and Lottie high five each other, her eyes then shifted to Nate, who was laughing at them before he turned to her and then began to walk over to her. Emma looked to Ivy, a little confused and whispered “What is happening?”

Ivy, with her eyes still on Nate said as she put her glass on the bar “Something I’ve been waiting five years for” she glanced to Emma and whispered “This song is ours”

The song was of course a Presley song.  _ Can’t Help Falling In Love With You _ . Nate shrugged with a smirk “I swear I had nothing to do with it”

“Believe me I don’t doubt that”

Nate stopped in front of her and shrugged, holding his hands out “Well I’m all dressed for it. The closest you’ll get to dancing with him”

Ivy smirked and put her hand in his, looking to Emma and rolling her eyes with a smile. Nate pulled her up off of her stool and walked her over to the dancefloor which unsurprisingly was now empty. Milo and Lottie shooed them off.

Nate put his hand on her back and pressed their bodies together whilst her hand rested in his other as they began to slowly dance. Ivy looked into his eyes “So this whole thing with Lauren. You ended it with her because she was nuts”

Nate laughed at her bluntness “That was part of it”

“And the other part?”

Nate stared at her with more intensity “That part would have been the full story six weeks ago, but then this girl. Blonde bout 5’8 you might know her. She came back into my life after being away for what felt like a lifetime, she definitely made an impact”

Ivy remained silent as she gazed at him, feeling rather overwhelmed by what he was saying. She took a deep breath “You know I never came here in attempts to shake up your life, I didn’t expect to return here after five years and expect you to still be pining over me”

Nate shrugged “Why not? You underestimate just how much I adored you. How much I loved you. If you could have and I know you couldn’t but if you could have told me where you were. I would have dropped everything to run by your side. Even if that happened two months ago, I would have been there, because that’s who you are to me”

Ivy let out a quiet deep breath through her nerves “What am I to you?”

“You already know” he whispered. Ivy slowly bit her lip as she stared at him, she gulped heavily and said in a quiet, dry voice “You do?”

“I do”

“Still?”

Nate nodded and whispered “Don’t you?”

Ivy stared at him, feeling as if all of the words she wanted to say became jammed in her throat. Sudden nerves just packed up inside of her. And she knew he was waiting for an answer. Ivy quickly moved out of his grasp and walked away. Nate stared at her walk away, confused. He ran his fingers through his hair, he didn’t even look to see if anyone was looking. There were people who were now dancing, the only people who really noticed was the family.

Ivy walked into her room, taking a deep breath, putting her hands on her hips and closing her eyes. She then heard him come in behind her and say softly “Hey”

Ivy turned to him and sighed “Sorry”

Nate closed the door and walked towards her, softly shaking his head “It’s okay” he then looked around and said with a light laugh “I like what you’ve done with the place”

Ivy crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows with her lips rubbing together. Nate looked back to her and carried on walking over to her “What’s wrong? Did I freak you out?”

“No, no you didn’t freak me out” Ivy shook her head, she sighed once again “I knew what I wanted to say but it was like my body was hesitating”

Nate stopped, now intensely close to her. Ivy looked into his eyes and confessed “Nate I’ve been hurt. Bad. I don’t mean I’ve had my heart broken, that hasn’t happened since I‘ve been taken away from here and you. But my mind has been” Ivy scoffed a laugh and shook her head “I’m damaged. I’m not the girl I used to be”

Nate gently cupped her face “You still look the same to me”

“It’s just so hard” Ivy confessed, damning to herself as she loosely gripped onto his shirt. Nate’s hands fell to her arms, his eyebrows pinched together as he found it hard to follow “What is?”

“To open up again. It takes a lot for me to do it and I know how easily you could break me if you ever left-”

“I’d never break you. I’d never leave. And you know as well as I do that you can do the exact same to me”

Ivy shook her head, gulping heavily she said in a small cry “I do not want to get hurt again”

“You won’t”

“You can’t promise me that”

“Yes I can-”

“No you can’t. You don’t know what will happen in the future, no-one does”

Nate sighed and remained silent for a moment. Ivy looked at him, with and face filled with emotion on her face, she pressed her forehead against his temple as he looked to the ground, until he looked back up to her “Okay you’re right. I can’t know that. But nothing in this life is guaranteed. If you’re always scared of taking chances then you aren’t living. Ivy I’ll never let anything happen to you as long as I can help it. That’s how it’s always been since we were six and it will always be like that”

Ivy lifted her head back up properly and placed her hand on his scruff bearded cheek. He stared at her, then whispering “You believe me don’t you”

Ivy then smiled and nodded “Yeah. I believe you”

“Then can’t you-”

Ivy shut him up by going off of her impulse and pulling his lips to hers. Nate sunk into it straight away and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer to his body than ever before. Ivy wrapped her arms around his neck and let out a soft moan as leaned back as he leaned forward into the kiss. She gripped onto the back of his head as he slowly pulled her back up, as their lips detached but still staying close together, Ivy let out a breathless small smile and whispered “Can’t I what?”

“Keep doing that” Nate whispered in a hot breath as he took his lips to hers again.

Unbeknownst to them, Mariana opened the door to see if she was okay. When she saw, she got the message loud and clear. She let out a silent and noiseless scream as she slowly back out and quietly closed the door. She turned and ran across the dance floor, practically crashing into Jesus who was talking to Stef.

Stef let out a confused chuckle “Easy love-”

“They’re kissing!” Mariana shouted in a whisper. Causing Jesus to drop his food and Stef to choke on her drink.

Stef raised her eyebrows to her “You’re sure”

“Well unless she has something in her mouth and he’s getting it out with his”

Jesus then cringed “Can we not talk about my coach sticking his tongue down my cousin’s throat”

Stef looked at him with an amused look on her face before an excited Mariana then said “Okay I have to go tell Callie!” she turned and then yelled after her sister before running towards her. Lottie was then next to Callie when Mariana gave the news, she then looked to Milo whilst chewing on a piece of licorice “You owe me ten bucks, I said they’d hook up tonight”

Milo rolled his eyes and took it out of his jacket, handing it over to her. 

Ivy pulled her lips away, breathing heavily and letting out a airy smile “Just like how I remembered”

Nate laughed and kissed her again, hearing her let out another rough quiet moan “Dare I say it’s better”

Ivy looked at him with an amused smirk and nodded as she bit her lip, now that she had kissed him. She felt as if she couldn’t help keep herself, she just wanted to keep on kissing him. But there was still a party outside that she was the subject of. Ivy kissed him quickly before saying in a heavy breath and a giggle “We have to get back out there”

Nate mocked a cry. Ivy slapped his chest and took hold of his hand “Come on”

Ivy opened the door and peeped her head out the door, she thought no one had seen them. She thought no one was non the wiser. Clearly kissing Nate made her a little bit stupid. She turned to him and smiled as she shut the door behind them. Ivy ran her fingers through her hair as she walked over to the bar where Stef and Lena now were.

They both gave her smirks and raised their eyebrows to her as Stef said “You look flustered”

“Huh? No” Ivy shook her head, then pointing to behind them “That mine”

She reached over and took the rum in her hand. Taking a sip and raising her eyebrows to them “Okay what?”

Lena leaned her head forward and whispered “You do know that everyone at this party is aware that you and Nate just had a kissing session in your room”

“Yes and also. A boy in your bedroom” Stef gasped to her. Ivy’s jaw slightly dropped “Everyone knows”

“Mariana saw you” Lena said with a face that was saying to her  _ ‘what else did you expect’ _

Ivy slowly nodded, she put her glass down on the bar and held her hand out to Stef “Can I talk to you?”

Stef looked to Lena before smiling and slapping his hand in Ivy’s, who smiled to Lena and then pulled Stef to the dance floor, as soon as she did so she blurted out “Am I crazy?” 

“Is this a trick question?”

Ivy slapped Stef’s arm “Be serious with me”

Stef brushed her strands of hair behind her ear “Why would you be crazy, babe?”

Ivy looked over her shoulder and saw Nate getting grilled and interrogated by Lottie and Milo, she found herself smiling again and then looked back to Stef and said in a more quiet tone “Because something is starting again…”

“And?”

“And am I crazy...for actually believing that this could work?”

Stef looked at her, a little confused why she would act such a question, and she saw how Ivy was getting rather tearful, Stef tilted her head as she rubbed Ivy’s back “Now why would you be crazy for that? You’ve wanted this since you were thirteen years old”

Ivy bowed her head down as she felt Stef’s hand go to her cheek.

_ ‘Don’t let this ruin things. It’s different. Don’t let this ruin things’ _

Ivy looked back up and shrugged as she smiled “I just feel like I need pinching I guess”

Stef smiled and pulled her in for a hug, resting her head on Ivy’s shoulder “I’m happy for you baby...he’s definitely broken up with his girlfriend?”

Ivy rolled her eyes “Yes”

“I’m just making sure” Stef said with a light chuckle.

* * *

It reached midnight when everyone began to roll out. Sharon was staying with the family whilst Dena and Stuart decided to get a hotel room, they would spend the day with them before leaving tomorrow night and Sharon leaves...well whenever the hell she feels like it really. 

Lottie seemed pretty annoyed at the fact that her boyfriend didn’t make it to the party or even called to tell her. He just left her to it. Lottie said he probably fell asleep because of the whole jetlag thing. But she seemed okay enough.

In fact everyone was okay apart from Milo, he was insanely drunk. More than anyone. Even more than Sharon. Lottie took on the role of taking care of him and trying to get him in her car, her temper was running on a short fuse though “Milo. Goddamnit, get in the car!”

“N-no, you _wash uiop”_ he slurred. Lottie rolled her eyes “I don’t even know what you’re saying you stupid…” she let out a quick hitching sigh and turned around to Ivy, giving her a smile as she held out her arms to hug her.

“Goodnight, honey, it was a great night” she wrapped her arms around Ivy and whispered into her ear “And well done”

Ivy giggled and muttered “Thanks. And goodnight too” she pulled back and took in a deep breath as she pointed to Milo “And good luck with  _ that _ ”

“He’s like a goddamn boomerang. I can’t get rid of him” Lottie sighed.

Milo then turned to Ivy and stumbled towards her “Ey. Oi.  _ You _ ” Ivy raised her eyebrows to him and gave him a smile as he put his hands on her arms “I wanna say goodnight to you”

Ivy smirked and whispered “Well no-one’s stopping you”

Milo cupped her face and said with his beer scented breath “Goodnight beautiful. You know if Nate hadn’t of scooped you up all them years ago then I would have pulled my best moves on you”

Ivy gave a playing along smile and nodded “Alright, Milo. I’m sure that’s true”

“Okay” he leaned forward even more and then whispered, as if it was a secret “I better go. Because that moody cow will end up killing me” he made his fingers look like a gun and mocked shooting him in the head.

Ivy laughed and straightened out his jacket “I’m glad to see that you have  _ clearly  _ had a good night”

“I did it was great. Okay I need to go. Love you” he gave her a drunken friendly kiss on her lips before turning around and walking back over to an impatient Lottie. Ivy watched him do so and called back to him “Love you too”

Ivy then felt two hands grab onto her waist, which made her jump at first. But she instantly calmed as she heard Nate’s face. He turned and faced her “So true or false. Majority of your night was made great by me?”

Ivy scrunched her nose up and teased “Clearly false”

Nate laughed and pulled her closer “Let me change your mind”

“Mm…” Ivy put her hand on his chest “Go ahead, do your best”

Behind them, as they kissed. Mariana and AJ looked to them. Mariana tilted her head and said “He looks like a good kisser”

AJ smirked and nodded as he gaped at Ivy “So does she…” he then felt Callie slap the back of his head as she walked over to them. Raising her eyebrow to him “Shouldn’t you and Mike get going?”

“Jealous?” he teased, giving her a wink which she briefly frowned at before instantly cracking an amused smile. AJ gave her a hug “Alright I’ll see you tomorrow”

He then hugged Mariana. Each hug had a different meaning which was clear to anyone watching. He walked down the road, closer to Ivy and Nate who were still kissing. But when she heard footsteps, she pulled her lips away and turned to AJ, reached out her arm and smiling “Leaving?”

“Yeah, gotta grab Mike and then we’re going” AJ smiled.

“Well thanks for coming” Ivy said, kissing his cheek as she gave him a hug. AJ smiled and rubbed her back, nodding to her as he pulled back “Thanks for inviting me, it was a good night” he turned and shook Nate’s hand “See you soon, man”

“Night dude” Nate slapped AJ’s arm as he shook his hand. Ivy turned her head back to Nate, and then looked over to Callie and Mariana who quickly ran away from spying. Ivy smirked and rolled her eyes as she looked to him again as he said, sliding his hands in hers “So listen. You busy tomorrow?”

Ivy raised an eyebrow “Why?”

“Well I was thinking we could do something”

Ivy tilted her head “Nathan Troit are you asking me out on a date?”

Nate laughed and nodded “I guess I am”

Ivy blew an airy raspberry, loving every second of teasing him “Well. I’m not so sure about that, I’ll have to get back to you”

Nate smirked “Alright. Just so you know I will be outside this house at 2pm, and I will either go out somewhere with you or chill with you in the house. Wherever you want to go I want to go with you”

Ivy stared at him and whispered “You know I can feel all that rum just coming back up”

“You’ve gotten so much meaner, you realise that?” Nate laughed, kissing her cheek and then her lips again “But it’s pretty hot” he whispered before brushing his lips against hers one more time and then walked down the drive. Ivy put her hands on her hips and watched him do so “Did you just...did you just  _ tease  _ me?”

Nate turned and still walked backwards “You bet your ass I did” he turned back around and got in the back of Lottie’s cab.

Ivy slowly bit her lip and let out a girlish squeal as she covered her face for a moment with the palm of her hands. She wasn’t going to be able to tame her grin all night.

But of course if she knew she was being watched by someone she thought she was rid of for good then it would have soon been wiped off. 


	10. Chapter 10

Ivy walked into the kitchen, fixing the back of her hair that still had a slight bedhead effect. The only person that was in the kitchen was Sharon. Who raised an eyebrow to her, sipping on her cup of tea “Good morning” 

She spoke in a tone that was down right teasing her about what she had gotten up to last night. Ivy rolled her eyes with a smirk and began to pour herself a cup of coffee. Then walking over to the table and sitting beside her.

“What’re you doing up so early?” Ivy asked “You usually aren’t exactly the early riser”

“Unlike you, you mean”

“Exactly” Ivy lightly chuckled. Sharon then shrugged “Well I guess I just couldn’t sleep. What about you? Did you sleep with a hanger in your mouth?”

Ivy rolled her eyes with her grin still lingering on her face, she looked down to her coffee and played the clueless “I have no idea what you mean”

“Hm. I saw you lip locking with Nathan, felt like it was 2011 all over again”

Ivy raised her eyebrows and muttered as she went to take a sip of her coffee from her cup “You’re stuck in the 60s by using the phrase lip lock”

Sharon nudged her with her shoulder “I’m pretty impressed, you’ve been back for what? A month”

Ivy let out a small chuckle and then heard footsteps come down the stairs along with a yawn, Stef smiled to them both and did what Ivy did, which was walk straight over to the coffee machine “Good morning you two, what’re you talking about?”

“Ivy’s antics last night”

“Over exaggerate much” Ivy said as she stretched her arms behind her. Stef sat facing them and shrugged along with nodding her head to the side and asking “Where do you go from here then?”

Ivy smirked “He erm, he wants to do something today. Go out somewhere or something”

“So a date” Stef smirked.

Sharon then grinned with excitement and then quickly turned her body to Ivy, putting her hands on her arm “Listen, if you’re going to put out-”

“Mom!” Stef cringed with Ivy cringing right after her and moaning “Grams!”

“What? We all know it happens. We’ve all done it" she then looked to Ivy, not actually certain on her statement and then muttered "Well I know I certainly have”

Stef rubbed her forehead and shook her head to her, holding her hand out to her “Okay, Ma this is not a topic I want to be discussing...with either of you”

Ivy nodded “I agree, plus I already know all that stuff. I’m not easy”

Stef grinned and pointed to Ivy, still looking at Sharon and bragging “See? That’s me. That’s my upbringing breakthrough”

Ivy rolled her eyes to her and cleared her throat as she looked to Sharon “So have you heard anything from Kath?”

Sharon frowned and shook her head “No. Sorry honey”

“Oh don’t be sorry I prefer it to stay like that actually” Ivy said, then looking to Stef who was in total agreement as she then added on “None of us need that in our lives, she’s a loose cannon” Stef took a sip of her drink when Sharon sighed.

“Stefanie. She is your sister still”

Stef pulled a face and shook her head as she put the cup down on the table “Not really, mom...I know she’s your daughter but admit it. She has never really been one…” Stef sighed and nodded her head to Ivy “The only thing I will ever thank her for is this young lady right here”

Ivy remained silent, then looking to Sharon as she ran her fingers through her granddaughter’s hair and nodding along to Stef’s statement “Yeah. She did something right I guess”

Ivy smiled and bowed her head down, then hearing Stef tease “Uh-oh, don’t get too sentimental. Ivy might throw up”

Ivy lifted her head up to Stef and briefly stuck her tongue out as she watched her stand up and start to put on breakfast. The kitchen would soon get filled up again as soon as the smell of bacon hits their noses.

* * *

Nearing 2pm. Ivy wasn’t quite sure if Nate was going to show up. She wasn’t exactly sitting around waiting, she was keeping herself busy. Like helping taking all the stuff down in the backyard that was taking so much more time than they thought it was going to. 

As Ivy was lowering down the  _ 2  _ out of the  _ 21  _ and then saw two pair of hands coming along to help her, she glanced to Brandon and gave him a tight smile “Thanks”

“Sure” Brandon muttered, they lowered it down on the floor, ready to take it apart. You just had to undo it in half and pack it up then off it goes back to the party rental store. Brandon looked to her “So you and Nate are…”

Ivy smirked and put her hands on her hips. So  _ that  _ was the reason he came over to help. He just wanted gossip, Ivy slowly nodded “We are getting back on track. Don’t worry it was post breakup”

Brandon rolled his eyes at her mocking, he shook his head “Do you not get nervous that he’ll just do to you what he did to her?”

Ivy smirked and tilted her head “You’ve really got it in for him for some odd reason that I, to be honest I no longer care about. I am a big girl and can take of myself. Thanks for you input, I’ll be sure to warn your girlfriend when you get one”

He scoffed under his breath and just walked away, leaving Ivy to let out a brief laugh as she looked down to the number and began to unclip the two parts of the number. Callie then came over, couched down to her level and whispered “Seriously what is with you guys? Why do you dislike each other so much?”

Ivy shrugged and glanced to him “I have no idea, you’ll have to ask him. I’ve never disliked him, that’s just been a one way street”

Callie frowned “Well, just ignore him, everyone is excited for you”

Ivy smiled and briefly pinched Callie’s cheek before they worked together and took the large number apart to pack away. After that was done, Ivy walked over to the bar and picked up her bottle of water, she she drank it down, she saw Nate walk in through the back with a smile on his face as he headed over to her. Ivy smirked, gulped her drink down “Hi”

“Hey” he motioned his hand to the garden “Some DIY going on?”

“Yeah we didn’t quite comprehend how much we’d have to pack away.  Think we were just hoping it’d have packed itself away whilst we were sleeping”

Nate laughed airily as he leaned against the bar and looked to the family packing stuff up. Ivy looked to him “We can still go out”

“No, no. Well yeah we can but I’d like to help you guys pack up first” Nate said as he took off his hooded zip up jacket, looking to her and saying in a laugh “I can’t exactly just whisk you away without helping. What kind of guy do you think I am?”

Ivy laughed and jokingly held her hand up “Sorry”

As they walked over, Ivy looked to Nate “How’s Milo doing?”

“Still asleep” Nate snorted. Ivy raised her eyebrows and shook her head “Hardly surprising”

Nate looked at her up and down, with a smirk on his face he muttered to her “You look good”

Ivy scoffed a laugh as she looked down herself. She was wearing white jeans that ripped at the knee cap, a purple tie dye crop. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, with many strands of hair falling on her face. It wasn’t exactly the most glamorous outfit she had ever worn. But still, he thought she looked amazing.

“Tell me. Where were you planning on taking me today?”

“Well, the day is still young. You’ll just have to wait and see”

Ivy let out a smile as she looked away from him and got back into helping out the family.

* * *

About an half an hour into helping them, Stef finally convinced Ivy that they would be fine with getting things done without her and insisted that she actually let Nate do what he said he wanted to do and take her out. 

They walked down the drive to Nate’s car, he looked over his shoulder “I think your mom likes me” he teased.

Ivy scoffed a small laugh “Cute. Just to clarify she’s always liked you. She just likes me better”

Nate mocked a laugh to her and opened the car door for her before walking round to his own side and getting in. He looked to her as he shut the door and gave her a smile “So you ready?”

“It depends. Are you taking me to my death?”

Nate smirked as he looked ahead and teased as he turned on the engine “Never say never”

The drive to where Nate was taking her wasn’t that far away, it was when they went down a certain road that Ivy then gathered where they were going and when she did, she couldn’t help but let out a laugh, she didn’t understand why or how she didn’t catch on as soon as he even asked her out “You’re such a cliche” she laughed.

“And you’re pretty dumb for not figuring it out before” Nate laughed back as he pulled over, Ivy leaned forward to the front window and slowly nodded as she looked at the attraction in front of her “The fun fair”

“The fun fair”

Ivy sat back in her seat and looked to him “Our first date. Are you trying to reminisce the good old days?”

“No I just love fun fairs is all”  

“Of course” Ivy whispered, smiling at him then leaning forward and kissing his cheek “Lucky for you, so do I” she let out a small excited giggle and then rushed out of the car. Nate laughed as he watched her do so and then followed her actions by doing the same. He held his hand out for her to take, wiggling his eyebrows at her which made her let out a breathless laugh and slap her hand in his as she rolled her eyes with a smirk still written across her face.

Nate pulled her close and kissed the top of her head “I’ve been waiting five years for this”

Ivy turned to him and gripped onto his shirt, pulled him close “Me too” she whispered as she lightly kissed his lips, then cupping his face and smiling softly “So let’s take this all for granted” she giggled, making him laugh too as their foreheads pressed together “Ivy I think I’ve been cherishing every single part of you since we were eight”

“You say shit like that to me and I am going to throw up one day”

Ivy took a few steps back before Nate wrapped his arms around her waist and said as he pulled her back to him “You used to like me saying shit like that”

“When I was a love sick teenager”

“What you’re telling me you’re not love sick?”

Ivy smirked and looked to him “Well now that is for me to know”

Nate put his hands on her waist and lifted his head up from her shoulder “Alright, let’s go win you one of those big pandas”

Nate swung his arm over her shoulder, she took hold of her hand that draped to her collarbone as they began to walk through the park. Hearing the laughter and screams of excitement from those on the rides. Noah looked to her and asked “So how are things at home?”

“Really great. Other than Brandon” Ivy muttered a laugh. Hearing Nate then do the same “Yeah well, no shock there”

Ivy rolled her eyes and shook her head “But he’s  _ always  _ been like that”

Nate rubbed his lips together and cleared his throat “So. You clearly know that I met someone during our time apart. Did you meet anyone?”

“And by meet you mean have a boyfriend” Ivy laid on thickly. Nate was so unbelievable awkward in asking personal questions, even when it came to her.

“Am I that transparent?” Nate joked in a mutter, hearing Ivy let out a small laugh and looked out to pier that was to the side of them. Ivy cleared her throat and nodded, going to be as vague as possible “Yeah I did...it erm. Lasted a few months, probably the same amount it did for you and...that’s the story, I ended it after those months because I wasn’t feeling what he was feeling”

“Guess we were in the same boat”

_ ‘Not by a long shot’ _

Ivy gave a tight smile and nodded “I guess so”

Nate tucked his hands in his pockets “So did you and him. Y’know”

Ivy let out a breathless laugh “Well there’s nothing like getting personal”

Nate chuckled and shrugged “I’m sorry. But we never did so I was just-”

“Being nosey” Ivy teased as she poked his chest. But still, she answered his question “But yeah  _ that  _ happened. Once. Regretted it”

Ivy looked to Nate as he remained silent and just looked at her, she shrugged and mumbled “You know? Not worth it all if you’re not in love” Nate smiled and nodded “Yeah I agree”

“Oh so you were in love”

Nate snorted a laugh and shook his head “No. Once again we fell into the same situation. Kind of. Mine was one with less dignity, I wasn’t dating the person, it was college”

“Anyone I know?” she meant it as a joke. But when he remained silent she stopped walking, holding his hand and making him do the same, she tilted her head “Is it?”

Nate sighed a small smile, looking to her, he raised his eyebrows to her “You really wanna know?”

“Well now I do” Ivy laughed, she gaped at him and said in a higher tone due to her sheer curiosity “Who was it?”

Nate knew he wasn’t going to be able to get out of it, he ran his fingers through his hair with his free hand and shrugged as he dropped it back down and just said it “Mandy Hurst”

Ivy’s eyebrows shot up “M-Mandy Hurst? You’re first time was with Mandy Hurst?”

Nate and Ivy went to highschool with her. She was tall, dark. Kind of bratty. She was basically  _ everything  _ that Ivy wasn’t.

“Yeah it was college. One stupid party, just kind of happened” Nate then held his finger up and pointed it to her “There was one thing I did know. I knew that nobody would have ever been a patch on you”

Ivy stared at him, with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face, she rolled her eyes “Great. Now if I don’t say it back I’ll look like an ass”

Nate walked to her, putting his hand on her cheek and softly putting his lips on hers that made her knees go slightly weak. Ivy smirked against his lips and whispered “You too”

He hummed a small laugh, Ivy gripped onto his jacket and raised her eyebrows to him “Now. You owe me a big panda. Last time we were here, you were shit”

Nate let out an offended laugh as she pulled him towards the attractions.

* * *

After a few hours of Nate trying to impress Ivy by having a winning streak in the attractions, winning her a big panda four booths ago. Now he was just showing off. After hours of holding hands as they screamed on the rides that were probably more dangerous than they had thought. After all of that, they decided to grab some food, park themselves on a bench by the pier and get wrapped in conversation. 

“Hows your mom?” Ivy asked as she planted a fry, looking to him and seeing him shrug “She’s alright. Wish she’d leave him though”

“He still as bad as he was before?”

“Guess not but only because I don’t live with them anymore I avoid him as much as possible”

“You work with him” Ivy blutered out a small laugh. Nate rolled his eyes “Yeah but it’s different. He’s in  _ coach  _ mode then, never talks to me about family life”

Ivy nodded and shrugged as she looked down to her fries. Suppose it’s actually better that way than him trying to play to doting father, Nate looked to her and gave her a nudge “So Brandon is still being a pain?”

“I don’t get what his problem is” Ivy shook her head, then looking back to him and said with a straight face “Maybe it’s you”

Nate raised his eyebrows as he sipped on the drink they were sharing “Me?”

Ivy shrugged “He told me to stay clear of you. Maybe you’re the problem” she stared at him a little while longer with a straight face, she could tell that she was making him nervous. She then cracked a smile and laughed “I’m kidding”

Nate smiled and then looked back to her. Ivy looked to him and then gave in, rolling her eyes “Okay what?”

“What?”

Ivy put her hand to his cheek, raising her brows “You’ve got that _ I want to ask you something  _ face”

Nate sighed and looked away from her for a moment, and then said “I was wondering about the day that you were taken away”

“I knew it” Ivy muttered, shuffling closer to him and draped her legs over his. Nate took a deep breath as he rested his arm on the back of the bench, with his hand on her back “I just...I never really knew”

Ivy put her fries to the side and took hold of his hands, she soon began to explain what had happened.

_ 29th September 2010 _

_ The family were all getting ready for dinner. It was the day before they were going to spend the day on the beach as a family along with Nate since he was practically part of the family anyway. All the kids were upstairs whilst Stef and Lena got the food ready. _

_ The doorbell went, Lena went over, opened it and then walked back in the kitchen to Stef, announcing the presence of her sister “Honey, Katherine is here” _

_ Stef looked over her shoulder to find her older sister step in the kitchen “So she is. How’s it going, sis?” _

_ “I’m moving” Katherine said boldly, Stef looked to Lena as Lena looked t her and then glanced back over to Katherine “Oh. I bought a new car freshener” _

_ Katherine let out an amused huff from her nose and took a step forward, resting her hands on the table “Are you mad?” _

_ Stef put the kitchen towel over her shoulder and turned to Katherine “Well it’s not as if we were exactly that close, Kath. It’s your life. But what about Ivy?” _

_ Katherine shrugged “What about her?” _

_ Stef looked to Lena asking for help by just the look in her eyes. Lena was always so much better with words. Lena looked to Katherine “What she means is. Aren’t you going to miss her?” _

_ “Why would I?” _

_ Stef scoffed and muttered “Nice, Kath” she turned back to the sink and continued to rinse out the tomatoes. Katherine wasn’t exactly around all the time. But it must take a new level of selfishness to abandon your child all together completely. _

_ “No, no I mean I am not gonna miss her. Because I am taking her with me” _

_ Lena’s head snapped to Stef, who slowly lifted her head from looking down at the sink. Straight out into the backyard for a moment as she tried to process what had just come out of her sister’s mouth. Stef slowly turned around and asked sternly “What?” _

_ “I’m taking Ivy with me” _

_ A fourth voice then came into the conversation “I’m what?” _

_ Stef looked to Ivy’s shocked and horror filled face. Stef shook her head “Honey-” _

_ “Tell her that she can’t do this! I don’t want to go anywhere with her” Ivy rushed over to Stef, Stef put her hand on her cheek as Ivy gripped onto Stef’s waist. Before she had the chance to say anything, Katherine spoke up “Ivy. I’m your mother” _

_ “When it best suits you” Ivy snarled as she turned her head to Katherine “I haven’t seen you in over two months. Why would I want to go with you? Why would you even want me with you?” _

_ “Because I want a good clean start. With you in it” _

_ Stef put her arms around Ivy and held her close as she shook her head and said in a shaky voice “You can’t do this, Kath” Lena then walked over and joined them, putting her hand on Stef’s back and her other on Ivy’s arm that wrapped around Stef’s waist. Lena shook her head “She’s not going anywhere” _

_ “Really? Cause I haven’t signed away my parental right for you to adopt Ivy yet because she is still my daughter. I was going to do it, but when Dylan promised me the life he is promising me I thought that the thing that would make it complete was to have my little girl with me” _

_ Katherine looked at them and scoffed she stepped forward to grab Ivy’s arm, Stef then snatched Katherine’s hand away before she had the chance “Get away from her, or I’l throw you out myself” _

_ Katherine rolled her eyes “Stefanie. Stop pretending she is yours. You’re not her mother. You have habit doing this, claiming children that aren’t your own. Do the twins get to see their real mothers or?” _

_ That was it, that was the moment that caused Stef to lose it, she swung her hand and slapped Katherine across her cheek. Lena jumped with Ivy sayed still and silent. Katherine put her hand on her stinging cheek and looked back to her “Pretty bad for a cop to assault someone” _

_ They remained silent for a moment. Katherine lost patience and muttered “That’s it” she reached over to Ivy and took her by the arm, beginning to drag her out of the house. Stef and Lena tried to fight her back, but then Katherine’s boyfriend came in and took Ivy and carried her out. They had no chance fighting him off. _

“All I can remember after that was hearing Stef scream they drove away with me in the car”

Nate remained silent and rubbed her back. Ivy sighed and took her eyes back to him, letting out a soft smile, she shrugged “But I’m home now. I don’t care”

Nate smiled as she leaned forward and kissed him. Nate put his hand on her cheek and brought her close. Smiling against her lips and then saying as their forehead pressed together “I’m finally home now that you’re here. Everything’s back to the way it should be”

Ivy smiled grinned sweetly and kissed his cheek as he held her. Nate kissed her shoulder as she buried her head in the crook of his neck “We’ve been out for hours. Best get back huh? Jesus already gave me the protective brother speech and to be honest he is pretty strong”

Ivy laughed breathlessly “Only you would get scared by his threats”

She stood up and took hold of his hands, pulling him up and pressing her body against his, she bit her lip as she looked at him “Come on, I’ll even let you drive me home”

Nate laughed as he put his arm over her shoulder “How did I  _ ever  _ get a date with the most popular girl in school?”

Ivy slapped his stomach at his slight mockery and carried on walking with him towards the parking lot.

* * *

They walked into the house from the back, it was pretty late. They were hoping that they were asleep. Ivy slowly and silently opened the back door and took his hand as they walked in the kitchen. The lights were off. They whispered and quietly giggled. All of a sudden the lights by the lounge area went off. Making them both jump. Stef, Mariana and Sharon all sat on the couches. 

“Jesus  _ Christ _ . What are you doing sat in the dark?”

Stef shook her head “Oh we weren’t. We saw you coming so we did it for dramatic effect”

Nate laughed behind Ivy, who shot him a glance over her shoulder. He quickly shut up. Ivy pointed her thumb to him behind her and said “We just came in for coffee”

The three ladies slowly nodded with the same smirk on her face. Nate, totally clueless at them teasing Ivy said “You want some?”

Mariana raised her eyebrows “Oh you actually  _ meant  _ coffee”

Ivy smirked “If I wanted anything else I’d be in my bedroom”

Stef cringed and put her arms in the air as she stood up “Okay _y_! I am going to bed” she tugged on Mariana’s shirt “You too Miss Thing” she then looked to Sharon “Mom?”

Sharon waved her hand “Yeah yeah I’ll be going in a minute”

Stef looked to Ivy and rolled her eyes. Even if Ivy wanted Nate to stay the night that wouldn’t be possible. With Brandon being home tonight, Sharon was bunking in Ivy’s room with her. Stef kissed Ivy’s cheek as a goodnight and then whispered “Good date?”

“Very”

Stef smiled “Good” she looked to Nate and gave him a soft smile “Night, Nate”

“Goodnight” Nate said with a nervous mutter, looking to Ivy as she turned away and whispered “Even after all these years I get scared”

Ivy laughed and put her hand on his stomach. Mariana turned at the stairs “Oh Ivy. There was a letter or something for you with the mail”

Ivy looked at her, confused. Who would be sending her letters?

Sharon soon made herself scarce and left them alone in the kitchen. Ivy took her cup out of the handle and cursed under her breath, repeating something she said before “Handle’s loose. Need a new one”

She poured them both coffee and then took hold of the letter that Mariana had pointed out. She stood at the end of the table and opened it up. Her heart dropped as soon as she saw the handwriting of her name. She knew who this was. Her eyes moved faster and faster down the page. Reading it fast as she could so that she could rip it up. Ivy took a deep breath which grabbed Nate’s attention “Hey, you alright?”

Ivy looked up to him and cleared her throat, plastering on a smile and shook her head as she ripped up the letter “No-one important. Just some guy wanting to get in touch about a script deal”

“What that’s great!”

Ivy laughed breathlessly “Not when the script is porn”

Nate choked on his coffee “Oh”

Ivy laughed “Yeah oh” she walked over to the bin and threw it in. That guy did offer her to write that script.  _ Months ago _ . The real person who wrote that letter, she wished she never met. And now that she’s getting these letters there’s one unsettling thing that she had realized.

He knows where she lives. 


	11. Chapter 11

Ivy felt like she should feel like she’s been living in a dream for the past week. Ever since that date things have been going amazing. Granted it had only been a week but still. Work was going well, things with Nate was going even better and the family was perfect. She hadn’t had any runnings with Brandon since he scoffed and walked off on her and Nate’s date. 

But her mind was still on that letter. She couldn’t shake it, if anything she was just waiting for something else to happen. Another letter or something but there was nothing, so she just thought that maybe they were just trying to scare her and that they weren’t actually here. She couldn’t lock herself or her family up on something that might not be actually happening.

So on the Sunday, Ivy thought it would be a good idea for them all to go the beach.

It was 11 in the morning and Jesus was still, amazingly, asleep. Ivy stood over him for a moment before jumping on his back and shaking him, giving him a very shocking wake up.

“What the hell?”

“You used to do this to me” Ivy said as she hopped up and down on his back. Jesus let out a winded breath and nodded “Yeah when I was like six”

Ivy stopped and just sat on his back for a moment. She then let out a laugh and stood up, she turned and looked to him, then tapping his arm and said “We’re spending the day on the beach so come on”

“All of us?”

“Well no i’m taking you guys. Moms have got to do some work on the house so I thought it’d be a good thing for us to just all do something together instead of all going off and doing our own thing like usual”

“So does this  _ us  _ include Brandon?”

Ivy tilted her head and shrugged “I don’t know, I said it when he was in the room but he didn’t say anything”

Jesus rolled his eyes and sat up on the bed, he rubbed his eyes. She slapped his arm again before turning around and saying as she walked out of the room “Be ready in ten”

Jesus groaned and lay back on the bed, softly go back to sleep but then woke up again when he had a pillow launched to his stomach from Ivy in the hallway.

She went downstairs to the kitchen where the rest of them were already ready. She looked over the kitchen to Brandon “Are you coming?”

“No I think I’ll pass” Brandon mumbled, then giving her a tight smile to try and say that he appreciated the offer. He did get a sharp look off of Stef though. But he actually did have a good reason. He had to practise on the piano for an audition, which was actually understandable. Else he would have gone, a day on the beach wouldn’t have been the worst time to spend his day.

Jesus came down after ten minutes, but they had to wait a good two minutes for him to have a piece of toast. Because god forbid he didn’t eat. Then everyone was set.

“We’ll back by dinner!” Ivy called as she led the kids out the door and to her car.

* * *

On their way to the beach. Ivy almost ran someone over. That someone being Nate. He of course stopped in front of it on purpose. Ivy let out what could be described best as a shriek, she looked at him with her jaw dropped “You scared the hell out of me!”

Nate laughed at her as she then went on to say “Dick”

He laughed even more and then banged on the hood of the car, leaning down on it he nodded “Word on the street is, you guys are going to the beach”

“And by street you mean me” Ivy laughed. She had text him literally ten minutes. Was he really trying to make it look like a coincidence? Nate smiled to her “I’ll meet you there?”

Ivy shrugged “It isn’t up to me”

Nate shifted his eyes to the kids. Giving them a cheesy grin to try and persuade them, of course they all agreed for him to join them. They loved Nate. And Nate and Ivy together is like one of those low budget but great comedy shows, he made her so happy which just made her even funnier.

They all found a good spot. It was a really good day. Not too crowded either, Ivy hated when the beach was so crowded that you’d have to step over people sunbathing to get past. They all lined their towels up in a row. Before getting into the ocean, they all shared little secrets about each other.

Mariana shot one at Ivy “Who was your first kiss?”

Nate looked to her and muttered with a smirk “Better be me”

Ivy wriggled her eyebrows “I had a lot of suitors back in the day” she tugged the corner of her mouth to him and then looked back to the kids “It was him. We were ten I believe” Ivy said as she looked down to her foot that was buried in the sand beside his.

“Ten we were. Ivy was complaining about how she thought she was never going to get a first kiss because she was a tomboy, and she said guys don’t like tomboys. So I kissed her to prove that she was wrong”

Callie and Mariana made an  _ ‘aww’ _ noise at the same time. Ivy then shook her head “Don’t aw him, after he did it he pushed me away and said ‘don’t make a thing out of it’ and threw dirt at me”

Nate smirked and looked to the boys “I had to play hard to get”

Ivy rolled her eyes and then lay back on the towel. Mariana shrugged and let out a small hum before saying “I’m going to go for a swim. You guys coming?”

Jesus, Jude and Callie all said yes. But Ivy said not right now, which was odd because she loved the ocean usually. Stef used to have to carry her out of it when she was surfing, and she was insanely good at it, a scout once said that she could go pro if she wanted too. And she would have too.

But things have changed which caused her feelings towards certain things change, like water.

Nate said that he’d hang back with Ivy and then get in later. When they were at a far enough distance, his head snapped to her “Since when do you not jump in the sea the first chance you get?”

“Since I almost died” Ivy lightly laughed, she saw how his face dropped. Ivy took a deep breath and said nothing, she just looked forward. He kept staring at her, his eyebrows pinched together “What are you talking about?”

“Just-”

“Don’t tell me to drop it, I can’t drop that what the hell are you talking about?” Nate sat up, she remained silent for a moment more and he grew slightly impatient “Ives”

Ivy cleared her throat and groaned, she shook her head. Wishing that she hadn’t of said anything at all.

“I don’t know what’s happened to you back in San Francisco”

“There’s a lot of things you don’t know about San Francisco” Ivy sharply answered back, taking her eyes to him. She quickly got to the point “One day this guy, Eddie tried feeling me up so I smashed up his car. I told my moms that he was arrested for sexual assault but he wasn’t he was arrested for attempted murder. On me. One day I was home alone and he came barging in the apartment. He knocked the door down and dragged me by the hair, saying he was going to kill me for what I did. Because nobody does that sort of shit to him. He saw that I had run a bath and he held me under it so much that I couldn’t breathe. As you can see he failed, but that was only because my step father Dylan came running and found saw what he was doing, he beat him black and blue after giving me CPR”

Ivy took a breath and looked down to the sand “I was okay but…”

Nate sighed and then said “You feel like you’re going to get dragged under again”

Ivy looked out to the ocean and said “I feel like he’s just going to jump up from the water and finish what he started”

Nate put his hand on her back and rested his chin on her shoulder “Baby that’ll never happen”

“I know but it’s a fear. I still get scared about it even when I know it’ll never happen” Ivy looked to him again and said “But he tried to kill me. I’ve never been the same since”

Ivy and Nate then felt a shadow over their bodies, Ivy looked up and saw Stef and Lena stood in front of them, dressed as if they were ready for a day on the beach. Lena had a picnic basket in her hand. It seems they wanted to make a day of it too. But now the sheer horror and shock on their faces clearly changed things.

Stef raised her eyebrows and said weakly “I’m sorry what?”

Ivy sighed as she looked to them, she then looked to Nate who cleared his throat and slowly stood up “I’m just gonna...go for a swim” 

As he stood up and walked away, Stef and Lena slowly sat down in front of her. Ivy remained silent. After Stef pushed her, Ivy explained once again what had happened. And Stef and Lena felt their heart break.

Stef gulped heavily and said in a wobbly voice “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because I didn’t want you to worry or look at me like you’re looking at me right now” Ivy shrugged “What happened in San Francisco happened, I don’t want to swell-”

“Dwell? Ivy if it wasn’t for your step dad you would be dead by now”

“Stef” Lena said softly, understanding how upset and angry she was about all of this, but saying things like that wasn’t going to help this situation.

Stef sighed and looked to Ivy “I’m sorry baby it’s just...knowing that we were so close to losing you for good. And if we did we wouldn’t even know. We wouldn’t have been told I…”

A tear fell down her cheek that Ivy quickly wiped away. She then whispered “Stop crying you’ll stain your cheeks”

Stef let out a small smile. It was something that Stef would say to Ivy should she ever get upset and start to cry. Lena rubbed Ivy’s arm and said softly “We’re just worried about what else has happened”

“Don’t be. In case you guys haven’t noticed, I’m not dead”

“Ivy stop making jokes” Stef said softly “You’ve got this wall up that you’re yet to take down”

Ivy rested her head in hand hand and let out a shaky breath “I’ve been scared for too long for it to come down. I’ve changed and I’m sorry for it”

Lena looked to Stef and then shook her head to Ivy as she took hold of her hand “Oh honey, we all change over time. But it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t trust us”

“I trust you guys more than anyone, it’s just in here” Ivy cried as she hit her head before grabbing her hair and letting out another shaky breath as she tried to keep her composure. Stef looked to Lena, who then got the feeling that this was a thing between Stef and Ivy.

Lena knew that Stef and Ivy had this bond that was bigger than anything else, and she was okay and happy with that. She didn’t want it any other way, everyone needs that certain someone to depend on. Stef is hers too. She got up and went over to the sea.

As soon as she did, Stef leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Ivy’s body and allowed Ivy to cry against her shoulder. Stef put her hand on the back of her hand “Baby…”

“I’m sorry” she cried in a whisper.

“Don’t you dare be sorry for crying” Stef shook her head, lifting her head up and looking at her. Ivy took a deep breath to try and calm herself, she didn’t want to shut down into one of her panic attacks, that she was prone to have. More when she was on her own, because for the past five years that’s all she has ever been.  _ Alone _ . Ivy pulled away from Stef and leaned down on her knees as she covered her eyes with the palm of her hands, feeling Stef rub her back.

Ivy took a deep breath as she then lifted her head and crossed her arms on her knees, looking out to Lena, Nate and the kids messing around in the sea. Stef just kept her eyes on Ivy and waited for her to speak, Ivy gulped heavily before lightly clearing her throat and saying in a still dry voice “I’m still scared”

“By what?” Stef said in a soft voice.

“By everything” Ivy shrugged “Walking down the street by myself, getting into the sea. I can’t even take baths” she laughed at herself “Pathetic”

“It’s not pathetic” Stef sighed, shaking her head and rubbing Ivy’s back “If there’s one thing you’ll never be it’s pathetic”

Ivy ran the palm of her hand down her mouth and shook her head as a tear ran down her cheek “I just want my life back”

“You can have it back now. Ivy, sweetie, nothing bad is going to happen to you anymore. Promise”

“Yeah? Well promises are made to be broken the majority of the time”

Stef sighed and rested her head on Ivy’s shoulder, then whispering “How did your mindset get to that stage?”

Ivy shrugged and shook her head, whispering with a cry “I have no idea” 

It then fell silent between the two, they just stayed close and watched their family play about in the sea.

* * *

They got home at four. Getting dinner on straight away, Nate was staying to have dinner with them after Stef and Lena insisted. Stef watched as Ivy and Nate sat together on the porch swing, her leaning her body against his as he said whatever it was that he was saying to her, the rest of the kids were off doing their own thing.

Stef sighed and turned to Lena “How could she not tell us? Something as big as an attempted murder  _ against  _ her”

“Honey I don’t know what to tell you. She was thinking of us, Of the family”

Stef walked over to the kitchen table and grabbed her coffee “Can’t imagine what she was going through, keeping a secret like that. Eating away to her everyday” she closed her eyes and shook her head “I know I should understand and I partly do. I just...I’m just-”

“Her mother” 

Stef looked up to Lena “What?”

Lena shrugged “You are hurt because you see yourself as more than her aunt but as her mother” she reached her hand out and laid it on top of her wife’s “And you are”

Stef softly and weakly smiled to Lena, taking in a deep breath she then said “I can’t help but think that if she kept this from us...then…”

“What else is she keeping from us?”

Stef nodded. Lena rubbed Stef’s hand and pulled it away as she stood up straight “I know I’m worried about that too. But y’know. Give it time, love, we can’t let our minds go mad with wonder. Maybe there isn’t anything else and if it is...I’m sure that it will come out in time”

Stef rubbed her lips together and cleared her throat as she looked away from Lena “Yeah”

She was hoping there wasn’t anymore for them to find out. But maybe that was her inner naivety.

Outside on the porch swing, Nate kissed the top of her head and spoke to her in a quiet, soft voice “You know you’re safe right? Now”

Ivy kept her head under his chin, staring at a spot of the porch. She didn’t know if she was fully safe, not for sure anyway. But she didn’t want to say anything in case of it being nothing, that the only thing in that letter was just a stupid threat. A lie. She didn’t want to worry anyone, and then have to uncover the worst part of her life. An attempted murder might sound worse, but through her own experience of what she went through, it was worse.

Ivy took in a breath and acted as if he was right “Yeah. Of course”

In her defense, she did feel safer. Safer than she had felt since she was sixteen. But still, deep down she worried. And still, she pretended to be fine with a convincing smile and a persuading laugh. Right now that’s all she could do. Ivy looked up to him and smiled, then whispering “You’ve got me right”

“Course I do” Nate smiled, lightly kissing her lips. He rubbed her arm before wrapping his arms around her body, pulling her body even closer “I remember Lena’s food. Is it as good as I remember?”

“If anything it’s gotten better”

“Ah good” Nate cracked his back and sat back on the seat “Likes it when a woman can cook me a good meal. Learn”

Ivy slapped his stomach, hearing him laugh. Ivy shook her head “Your jokes are still as crap as I remember I see” she found herself looking around a little, just scoping and checking that  _ he  _ wasn’t really here. Her eyes scanned every nook and cranny and she saw nothing. She the felt Nate rub her arm “Hey. What’re you staring at?”

“Hm? Oh nothing my mind just went for a wander” she slapped his leg as she stood up and cleared her throat, she then waved her hand before holding it out to him “Come on. Let’s get in there for the grub” 

“With pleasure” Nate grinned with hunger, slapping his hand in hers. She pulled him up onto his feet and then guided him back into the house with her hand still in his.

* * *

After dinner, Nate and Ivy hung in her room for a bit.

With Ivy having her record playing in the background whilst they lay on her bed and talked. Ivy lay on her back with her head resting on his lap as Nate had his back up against the headboard. Both sharing a bag of red vines whilst talking about a random load of crap. Nate stroked her hair as he listened to her ramble on about a current favourite film of hers. He loved hearing her ramble, when she was passionate about something she just couldn’t stop and he just loved listening to her.

“-And she had to leave him to go back to her shitty life and her shitty husband and I swear sometimes life just isn’t fair and am I talking too much?”

“No I’d say just the right amount” Nate smiled to her. Ivy sighed a smile as she looked up to the ceiling and muttered “Now you’re just being nice”

Nate smiled as he rubbed her thigh, then patting her and saying as he looked to his watch “Ah, it’s getting pretty late. Maybe I should go” he gave her a small smile before leaning down to her and kissing her. Ivy put her hands on the back of his head as their kiss deepened and soon became more heated.

He put his hand on her cheek and muttered “Do you want me to go?”

Ivy pulled away and looked into his eyes “Does it look like I want you to go?”

Nate smiled to her and watched her as she sat up and faced him, she looked at him and almost with hesitation, she put her hands on his cheeks and pulled his lips back to her. This was a big deal for her, more than can be ever imagined. He felt her grip onto him really hard and couldn’t tell if something was up “Ivy are you-”

“I’m fine” she whispered as she kissed him again. Nate’s arms wrapped tightly around her waist and lowered her down on her back. Ivy took a subtle deep breath between their kiss. She had to remember who it was that she was being with. This was Nate. Nate was safe. And she was safe with him. Ivy pressed her forehead against his and whispered, with a more cry “I love you”

Nate lightly kissed her cheek and rubbed his nose against her “I love you too, Ives”

Ivy let out a tearful smile and kissed him again.


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning. Just as everyone was getting up for work and school, Mariana and Callie noticed that Ivy wasn't out of her room. They also knew that Stef and Lena had no idea that Nate was in there sleeping with her. Stef looked at her watch as she was chewing on a bowl of cereal "Shouldn't she be up?"

"Well she seemed to be...occupied last night" Mariana muttered as she was trying to keep her laughter down. Everyone looked to her. Callie also tried to keep her laughter, Jude looked at them with his eyebrows raised hoping they don't land Ivy in it whilst Brandon didn't really care that much although he did also find it partly amusing. Jesus didn't know as Jude didn't tell him. Stef and Lena looked at her in confusion and also Callie for that matter.

"What do you mean?" Lena laughed at their laughter from being out of the loop.

"Well-she's got a friend in there" Callie slowly stated out to make it sound not as scandalous. Lena looked to Stef as Stef did the same to her, they then got the grasp and their heads snapped back to Callie "Nate? You mean he didn’t go home last night?"

"Who else?" Jude shrugged "You knew too!" Lena pointed to him with a surprised gasp and look on her face. Jude giggled and nodded.

Sharon laugh and clapped her hands “Didn’t I tell ya? That can girl hook line and sinker anyone”

"Not exactly helping mother" Stef said in a hushed tone "Right well then" Stef went to go to the garage. She was quickly stopped by the grab on the arm by Lena as she jumped in front of her "You can't just barge in there"

"She's got a boy in her room-what? Why are you looking at me like that"

Lena tilted her head and said in an almost whisper "She's twenty one years old, honey, I don't think you can exactly tell her whether she can or cannot sleep with her boyfriend"

"A boyfriend who she has been with for like... _ three days _ "

"Yeah but in all fairness she has been in love with him for about seven years" Jesus interrupted, Mariana shrugged and nodded "He is right it's not as if he is some random guy she just met they kind of waited to be  _ in each others arms _ . Also it's been a little longer than that"

"Stop her before I throw up" Brandon laughed.

"For goodness sake Stefanie she'll be up soon" Sharon rolled her eyes and stated in her usual loud voice. Stef sighed and looked to Lena who motioned her to come and sit down for breakfast. 

Ivy's eyes slowly opened, she looked to the clock on her side table. She blinked slowly to make her vision clearer. When she saw the time her eyes widened instantly "Shit... _ shit _ " she started to tap Nate "Nate wake up"

"Mm?" He groaned as he was still half asleep. Ivy rolled her eyes and plucked a hair off the arm that rested over her body. It very much woke him up "Ah! Crap"

"We're gonna be late, come on get up" Ivy quickly shot up and ran to her wardrobe, grabbed an outfit and then ran into the bathroom "Don't go in there in my watch" he called. He had no reply, he simply heard a little giggle. Nate sat up and sent a text to Milo.

**HEY BUD PLEASE BRING A BAG OF CLOTHES FROM MY WARDROBE, I NEED A FRESH SHIRT AND SOME SWEATS. CHEERS MAN.**

As soon as Ivy was dressed which surprisingly didn't take too long. She wore a black t-shirt along with a long grey leather jacket. White jean pants and smart brown leather ankle boots. Her hair was partly tied back as the rest remained free and down. She took him by the hand and brought him out the garage and into the kitchen where everyone still was.

"Oh hello, you  _ two _ " Mariana greeted in a very enthusiastic tone. Ivy smiled rather smugly to Mariana, she looked to Stef and quickly dropped her big smile to just a little one she walked over to her aunts and grandmother "Nothing happened"

"Ha yeah right" Sharon winked

Ivy rolled her eyes and took a quick shot of espresso that Sharon had passed to her. 

"Right...well you should all get a move on" Sharon said fluttering her hands about. Ivy hugged her grandmother tightly and kissed her on the cheek "Have a safe flight"

"Thank you sweetheart, I'll see you soon okay?"

"Yeah, love you"

The kids one by one said goodbye to Sharon by giving her a hug and a kiss before they left. Nate was the last one to go, he didn't give Sharon a hug or a kiss since he didn't know her too well, they met once or twice before now. He gave her a smile and said goodbye, before he had chance to go she stopped him "Hey kid"

Nate turned back "Yeah?"

"I'm sure you've had the protective speech from someone in this family, now I'm not one for threats but if you hurt my granddaughter I will come back down here and you will not like what I have to say or what I will do" Sharon threatened and then giving him a smile.

"Mom! No threats" Stef whined as she put the dishes in the sink, she looked to Nate "Sorry" she mouthed. Nate shrugged and laughed. Nate looked to her a little taken back, he then did a long nod "Understood, I'll do my best" he then turned and left.

* * *

They all drove in separate cars. Lena and the kids in one car. Ivy in hers and Nate in his. When Ivy got out of the car she wished the kids a good day. Lena walked over to her "So last night"

"Yeah last night"

"So did anything happen?"

"Aunt Lena!" she laughed. But she remained silent and blushed. 

Lena muttered a laugh “God. You and Stef really are the same person” 

"Why?" she then dropped her jaw "How long was it for you two?" Lena looked from down at her coffee to Ivy with an amused look on her face "Are you kidding? On the first date your aunt pounced so hard I have never known anything like it in my life"

"Okay...I suddenly regret asking" Ivy laughed as they walked inside the school, she looked to Nate and smiled to him as she bit her lip. He closed his car door looking at her pulling the same smile.

When Nate got into the sports hall he saw Milo sat on the seat stalls with a gym bag his hand "Hey!" Milo called as he launched the bag down hitting Nate in the face, Milo ran down from the top of the stalls and jumped at him "Sup you dirty dog"

Nate shook his head "Shut up and thanks” 

“No...problem” Milo’s eyes wandered as a group of girl’s. Nate looked to him and rolled his eyes “Fifteen. Milo. They’re fifteen”

Milo quickly looked away “Christ why do fifteen year olds look eighteen these days?” he slid his hands in his pockets and then let out an amused smile to Nate before waving and leaving the gym. 

Ivy walked into the classroom. She found a letter on her desk. The same kind of letter from the same person. Her breath shook as she sat there and read it whilst her students did their work. Timothy was off today so it was just her handling this lesson. They were just going over their feedbacks she gave them from their scripts. She felt her hands shake. 

She felt herself examine every damn thing that he had wrote. Nibbling on her thumb nail, which she does constantly when she gets nervous. Crapping herself was more of the accurate thing right now, she didn’t know what to do. She felt as if she was going to have a damn heart attack. Ivy was suddenly pulled away from it.

"That doesn't look like a script?" She heard Brandon's voice in front of her.   
  
"It also doesn't look like it's any of your business, what's up" she said not looking up to him.   
  
Brandon handed her his script “Did what you asked”

“I’m so grateful” she muttered. 

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't go to the beach with you guys it's just..." Ivy slowly looked up from the letter and looked to Brandon. "It's just...to be honest I don't have a good reason, I was just being an ass" Ivy nodded not disagreeing with him. "Okay, thanks?"   
  
"That it?" 

Ivy glanced to him as she looked back down the letter and shrugged "What do you want me to say, B? Hm? That I really love your  _ 'great'  _ apology"   
  
"I'm trying here"   
  
"Yeah and I tried many times including inviting you to the beach" Ivy shook her head refusing to be the bad guy here still not taking her eyes off the letter. Brandon looked to the letter "Who's it from?"   
  
"What part of none of your business do you not understand?"   
  
He knew that this was bugging her, because she was being sharp and usually she was a calm person "Are you hiding something from us?"   
  
"Oh so now you're worried about actually being my family? Now that you know I have something"   
  
"Fine not  _ us _ , but my moms?" Ivy looked up and folded the letter, she licked her bottom lip thinking on what to say "What's in the letter, Ivy?"   
  
"Brandon, back off now"   
  
"It's clearly something bad, and if it is going to cause a danger...keep it away from  _ my  _ family"   
  
"They're my family too"   
  
"Then we have an understanding" he bitterly mumbled as he walked away. Ivy sighed stress-fully. That could have gone a lot better. She glanced down to the letter and read the sentence _ ‘I'm never gonna give up’ _ she closed her eyes for a moment and then placed it back into the drawer. Pressing her fists against her mouth and closing her eyes as she took a deep breath. 

* * *

In attempts to get her mind off of everything, she went to Nate and visited him as he did a class, it was just a fly by visit “Hey” she whispered. 

Nate took his eyes away from his class and smiled to her “Hey you”

“I am going to the burger shack to get some food, want me to bring something back for you?”

“A woman after my own heart. Yes please” 

“Usual?”

“You know me so well” Nate leaned forward and kissed her cheek, which got a teasing reaction from his class. Ivy shot them all a  _ ‘stop it’  _ smirk before patting Nate’s hand and giving him a smile to then leave.    
She took a nice walk down the beach to the shack and got her and Nate’s usual meals. It didn’t take long, the guy who was on shift went to school with Ivy and he was always quite sweet on her, so he put her meal ahead of any others. She put the packed up food in her backpack and walked on. Ivy kept her head down as she walked back along the beach towards the school again. 

She watched her feet make prints in the sand when she suddenly had a shadow in front of her. She stared at it for a moment and felt her stomach drop, the outline of this mans body was one that she knew. Ivy slowly looked up and saw him staring at her with a smug smirk on his face “Hey, sweetie”

Ivy felt her breath get caught in her throat “Jason”

Jason hummed a small laugh and rubbed his lips together as he looked at her up and down, she knew the types of things that he was thinking of right now “Damn. It’s good to see you”

“The hell are you doing here?”

“I came here for you”

Ivy stared at him and shook her head, keeping her tone sharp and stern “You harassing me with those letters. I thought was a bluff, I thought you’d never be  _ stupid  _ enough to show your face”

"I just want to meet the family"

"Stop it! Jason, you have got to go home"

"You're my home"

"Oh for fuck sake" Ivy mumbled under breath, she walked past him and then stopped. Turning back around to him, she slapped him hard before shouting

“You know what you did to me!”

Jason groaned and looked back to her “You’re being dramatic”

“ _ Dramatic _ ?”

“Yeah” he said with a laugh in the back of his throat. Ivy slowly shook her head with her eyes slowly filling up. God she hated him, he made her feel sick. His face, the way he spoke. Everything. It wasn’t always like that, Ivy put her hands on her hips and looked away from him “You were my friend. Before the obsession, before the stalking. Before the violence”

Jason sighed and shrugged “Fine. Sorry for what you felt I did that was so terrible”

“Do you even remember-”

Jason just smirked and shook his head “Plays differently in my head”

“Course it does. More pleasurable in your head, right? More romantic?” 

He took a step forward, holding his arms out to take hold of her waist “Come on-” Ivy quickly slapped his arms away before pushing him “Don’t come near me! You’re lucky I’m not calling the cops”

“Then why don’t you? If what I did was so  _ terrible  _ then why don’t you get my ass thrown in prison”

Ivy shook her head, her tear falling down her cheek “Because I know that nine times out of ten, it’s guys like you that get away with it. And women like me are left humiliated and robbed of justice. I don’t want to put my family through that. I don’t want them to know”

Jason took a small step closer “Cause you know it’ll taint what they think of me...and you still want-”

“All I want from you is to get out of here and go back to San Francisco. Or hell. I know where I’d prefer” 

His face changed from being smug and smirky to getting bitter and full of rage, something she has seen one too manny times. Jason gulped heavily and groaned under his breath, biting his lip and coming out with “You seriously don’t know what you’re doing. If I gotta get through to you some other way to show I’m not giving up then I will?”

Ivy felt her stomach drop “Meaning?”

“Meaning you should really put your instagram on private. Lotta weirdos around here who can I dunno. See pictures of your family and new fuck buddy and save them to remember who to look out for” Jason got out his phone and roamed through his camera roll for a split second “You certainly seem comfy with…” he held photo in front of her “This chick” 

Ivy stared at the picture of her hugging Callie from her birthday party. Jason smiled as he turned the screen back to him “She’s cute. New cousin right?”

“Keep away from her” Ivy said sternly. 

“Got a special bond going on? Can kinda tell by the photos. Hell you seem close with all of them but um. She seems like you...maybe I should move on to-”

“I swear to god. If you go near her or any of my family. I will kill you”

Jason smirked and laughed “How? Dueling pistols? I know I’ve got mine”

Ivy’s jaw dropped, staring at him, her eyes darted around everywhere "Jason...you haven't got it have you"

"My pride and joy, baby, after you of course...I'll see you real soon" he smiled, touching a strand of her hair which made her flinch. Jason winked to her and added in a mutter “Tell your new toy boy to look out. If I see him you might have to be picking him up at the hospital”

She said nothing, she was too shaken to do anything. He left her alone and she just watched him walk away. Once he was gone, Ivy let out a shaken cry, putting her hand over her mouth and staring down at the sand. Letting out another strained cry. Ivy took a deep shaken breath, dropping her hand from her mouth and putting it back on her hip as she took deep breaths. 

“Shit” she cried to herself in a whisper. Ivy crouched down and dropped her head in her hands, repeating the curse in yet another cry. 

Ivy returned back to the school, she went to Nate and just put the food in his office, then saying to him without letting him greet her “I can’t have lunch with you”

“Wha-how come?” Nate said, still with a small smile on his face. But Ivy was too worked up to put on a smile for him, she just shook his head and said with a sharp tone, not being able to speak in any other way “I just can’t”

Nate reached for her hand with a confused smile still on his face “Babe-”

“I said I can’t” Ivy took her hand out of his and just walked out. Nate watched her go and let her, he didn’t get it at all. One minute she was all happy and laughing, next minute she was sharp with him and distant. She’d never been sharp with him before, and although he was confused and a little wounded, he let her go. Clearly she needed space and he was going to give it to her. Nate turned to his lunch and stared at it. He sighed and muttered “Never really wanted you anyway” 

Ivy walked down the hall and went into her empty classroom. She didn’t want to eat, she didn’t want to talk to anyone. She didn’t even know what things she didn’t want to do. She was just utterly lost, within herself and in the real world on what to do. What was she going to do? She could tell Stef, be honest about everything. But that would mean telling her  _ everything _ . She had already worried Stef enough with the past things, to add something else to the list would make things so much worse. Not to mention the full blown protection strategies she would go through to make sure Jason doesn’t get near them. But they may need that. Ivy was going to have to bite her tongue on the tears, on answering all the questions. 

Or...she could save everyone the heartache. Sacrifice herself in fact and just go. Ivy looked down to her lockscreen that was of her and Nate and had her eyes quickly filling up, going would mean letting him go again. But she would be protecting him. Ivy wrote a note down, telling someone that she was sick and went home, for them to go get a sub and then left. 

* * *

Nate parked up outside of Ivy’s house after one of the students made a joke as they passed him about Ivy being an extra in  _ Fast and Furious  _ from taking off in her car so fast. Something was definitely wrong. 

He walked through the back and saw that he door was open, she was stood by her bed. He walked forward, trying to make out as to what it was that she was doing and then saw her packing her bags. He practically ran in and put his hand on hers, making her jump “Whoa whoa whoa, the hell you doing?”

“I can’t”

“Can’t what?”

“I can’t stay here”

Nate’s brows pinched together as he watched her pack more of her clothes and then stopped her again by taking hold of her hand “Ives talk to me. What is going on? Why do you think you need to leave”?

“You don’t understand”

“Then let me, explain to me. What’s happening, babe?” Nate put his hand on her cheek and slowly turned her to him. Seeing how much that she was crying, how she had been crying for a while now given that her eyes were really red. Ivy couldn’t even look at him. She didn’t want to because if she did, she’d back out in doing this. Ivy closed her eyes, she rested her forehead on his shoulder and just blurted in a whisper “He’s going to hurt you” 

Nate looked even more confused, he put his hand on the back of her head “Who’s gonna hurt me?” 

Ivy sighed and then moved herself by sitting down on the bed and looking down to her hands, she sniffed up her runny nose and began to talk “I dated someone in San Fran...Jason”

“Uh huh, you mentioned-”

“No Nate just please” Ivy held up her hand and said breathlessly “Please just let me get this out to you...Jason was temperamental, he was overwhelmingly protective. I felt safe around him until I actually ending things. I ended things because I couldn’t love him and he became obsessed. Scarily obsessed. He followed me wherever I went, would always be knocking on my door and trying to break himself in...he began to scare me a lot. He turned violent to me and anyone who went around me that he thought was some kind of threat” Ivy took a breath, she licked her bottom lip and shook her head. Leaving out an important chunk of their past and just skipped ahead to “And now he’s found me here, I saw him today at the beach”

“What? Are you okay?” Nate sat beside her, putting his hand on her back “Did he do something to you?”

“No. No he wouldn’t dare touch me in any kind of aggressive way in public...but he made threats” she put the back of her hand to her mouth as she let out a brief sob, taking in a breath to calm her down “He made threats to hurt my family and h-hurt you and I can’t deal. I can’t do it. I know he will” 

“If you tell Stef-”

“If I tell Stef then it will just make things so much worse and I don’t want them to drag them into this”

“So your solution is to run? And what? Give him what he wants to protect us? Ivy you don’t have to play the hero” he slid his hand in hers “And to be frank, anything he tries to put on us won’t compare at all to you leaving us. I know which will hurt more”

“And if he hurts you? I’ll never forgive myself...the things he’s capable of I...god I wouldn’t be able to live”

Nate kissed the side of her head and pulled her close. Softly rubbing her arm. He took his phone out of his pocket and did something that he knew was something he shouldn’t do, but he was thinking of her in the end result. As he spoke to her to calm her down, he went down his contacts without even looking and called Lena. He just let it ring and carried on talking. With Lena catching on that this was to overhear a conversation by the way he was talking. 

“If you just tell your aunts about this guy, Ives they can protect you”

“I don’t want to burden them” Ivy sobbed into his shoulder, then lifting her head up and adding “They open their home to me after all these years, they take care of me and love me. I dump all of this shit on them from my past, all these issues I now have I cannot dump another one on them no way” 

“This is your home. It always has been. And you’re not dumping anything on them...and with this Jason being a dangerous guy, making threats against me and your family then...you gotta reach out. Just please don’t run away” 

Lena slowly brought the phone away from her ear as she just heard the cries from Ivy on the other side. Staring down at the desk in pure shock and horror. She hung up and then called Stef. Just waiting and waiting until “Stef. You need to get back to the house right now” 


	13. Chapter 13

**TW: Mentions of Rape**

* * *

Stef raced home when Lena briefed her on what she had heard. She ran in the back and practically crashed into the door to find Nate and Ivy sat on the bed with Ivy just about recovering from her tears, Stef’s eyes darted to the half packed bag. Then to Ivy who sat up from leaning against Nate and didn’t know what to do with herself “Aunt Stef”

“You know…” Stef started in a shaken voice “When Lena called me to say that you were planning on running away I didn’t want to believe it but…”

Ivy’s brows pinched together “Lena? How did Aunt Lena know?” her eyes then slowly dragged to Nate who looked very much caught out, Ivy looked down to his phone that was out on the bed and shot up.

“Oh my god you called her. You made her overhear everything!”

Nate sighed and rubbed his forehead “I’m sorry-”

“You’re sorry? You’re not sorry!”

Nate looked at her and hitched his breath, he then too shot up and argued back “You’re right. I’m not. I’m not sorry that I got your aunts into this because if I can’t get through to you I know for sure that she can” Nate lifted his arm in Stef’s direction, raising his brows to her “Okay? So I’m not sorry, cause I’m not just gonna let you walk out just because you’re scared”

Ivy looked away from him and said “I don’t even know what to say to you. You totally just disrespected my privacy” 

“Alright. Be mad. Just talk” Nate grabbed his jacket. Nodded to Stef and left her to it. Stef turned her head to the side as Nate walked past her and then looked to Ivy who just sat herself down on the bed again and dropped her head in her hands. Quietly crying. Stef stared at her, just utterly heartbroken by the sound. She walked over and sat beside her. Without saying anything, she just took hold of her hand, took a deep breath and then asked “Okay. So do you want to tell me what this is all about?”

Ivy shook her head and pressed her forehead against her palm, sniffling up her tears and sobbed “No”

“No? Why?”

“Cause I-I don’t want you to hate me” 

Stef frowned and put her free hand on Ivy’s back and softly rubbed it “Babe I could never hate you...just...talk to me please”

Ivy licked her lip and asked “What exactly did Lena tell you?”

“That she overheard you and Nathan, he was trying to stop you from running away...that you were scared of some guy” 

Ivy’s breaths got heavier just at the idea of him. With Stef rubbing her back for comfort, she calmed herself down enough to just blurt out “His name...his name is Jason”  

Stef slowly nodded, getting information bit by bit. She didn’t want to jump the gun and back Ivy into saying something vague and short to just get it out and over with, she needed to know everything "Okay, and Jason is?" 

"Jason is my ex boyfriend" she felt sick just labeling as that. Again Stef slowly nodded and then asked, cautiously “Ivy, is your ex boyfriend dangerous?"

Ivy hitched her breath and didn't want to answer. Stef didn't say anything. She didn't push for an answer. She let Ivy give her answer in her own time. She kept her eyes off of Stef, not wanting to look at her when she answered. Her answer was just a weak nod. 

Stef took a small breath “Okay...why? What has he done-”

“Please don’t” Ivy shook her head and cried. Which only made Stef feel even more sick to her stomach “Ivy, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me, please love” 

Ivy covered her face with her hands and sobbed into her hands before dropping them down, she quickly wiped them away and took in a deep breath “At first he was sweet and protective. When I ended things he was obsessive, violent and he…” her face scrunched up at the thought, she bit down on her lip hard and shook her head “Please don’t make me say it” 

Stef shook her head. No. This can’t happen. This couldn’t have happened to another one of her babies. Not Ivy. No. Stef took a breath “Baby did he assault you..sexually?” 

Ivy let out a strained sob, it was more like a scream. Finally saying the words that have been at the pit of her stomach for so long “He raped me” 

Stef pulled her close and held onto her tight, tears of her own now falling down her cheeks. Ivy tucked her legs up on the bed and cried into Stef’s shoulder. Ivy let out more sobs before saying “And I hate myself everyday because of it”

Stef gripped onto her tighter “Baby why didn’t you say something?”

“Because I felt humiliated and  _ wrong _ ” 

Stef sighed and pressed her lips against her forehead, then hearing Ivy say in a cry “And now he’s here. He found me, I saw him today and he...he threatened to hurt all of you and Nate to get to me...so I have to go”

“You are not going anywhere” Stef shook her head and looked to her, sweeping the hair away from her face as she looked to her “You are staying here”

“But he’s-”

“Not going to get near any of us. Not whilst I’m still breathing” 

"I'm scared"

“I know you are baby. But now that you’ve told me I can help, we can find a way to track him down and find him”

“He’s very secretive” Ivy shook his head “Please don’t tell the kids”

“Of course” Stef whispered “What can I do for  _ you  _ right now?”

Ivy looked to Stef and her lip began to go again as she then cried “I just really  _ need _ you. I need you to love me. That's all I need” 

A tear ran down her cheek as she nodded to her. Stef sighed through her tears “You've already got that. Because I love you  _ so  _ much, Ivy” she brought Ivy back to her and hugged her tight “I'm always going to be here” 

* * *

Lena got home after the school day, she finished a little bit earlier and told the kids she had errands to run so they’d have to get home in their own car. She didn’t have any errands, she just wanted to get home before they did so she could check that everything was good with Ivy without raising suspicion. 

Lena walked in, peeping her head in as she slowly opened the door. She saw Ivy lying on the bed asleep, her head resting on Stef’s stomach as Stef stroked her hair. If it was a different situation this would have been  _ cute  _ to look at. She didn’t want to wake Ivy, but she did want to talk about what happened “Stef” she whispered to her, causing Stef to look up at her. Lena waved her hand over to herself which was signal enough for Stef to come and talk. 

Stef looked down to Ivy as she slowly moved herself from the bed, resting Ivy’s head down on the pillow. She nodded to Lena to get back outside and she did. When Stef got out, she finally could let out the deep shaken breath she had been holding in over two hours now. Stef walked ahead of Lena with her hands on her hips, her eyes filled up again, she felt Lena’s hand touch her back “Stef?”

“It’s so much worse than we thought” Stef said, quickly wiping her eyes, she turned around to her, looking down to the ground and shook her head as she added in a mumble “So much worse”

“Whatever it is, babe, we can-”

“She was raped” Stef looked up to her, seeing the horror spread onto Lena’s face. The same look that Stef had when she found out. 

“ _ What _ ?” Lena gasped. 

Stef nodded, with another tear running down her cheek “That guy...the one she’s scared of...he’s her ex boyfriend, she said he’s obsessed and turned violent and...he raped her” her voice dried up at the end of the sentence and looked down again to let out more tears roll down her face before wiping them again

Lena was just in a state of shock, she didn’t know what to do or say. She couldn’t even move. She just caught Stef as she fell into her arms and tightened her grip around her. 

* * *

Ivy woke up a little later on, half an hour to be exact. When she woke up to be alone, without Stef holding her for comfort. Ivy sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes before running her finger through her hair. A part of her was glad that she got it all off of her chest, but the other half felt like she was never going to be able to act around them the same again, she was afraid that they were going to look at her different. Treat her different, which was something that she wouldn’t be able to stand. She was going to have to find out, Ivy dragged herself out of bed and walked into the kitchen. Finding Stef and Lena there, in silence. Ivy’s eyes locked to Lena straight away, she wasn’t an idiot or naive, she knew that Stef would have told her by now. 

Lena just looked at her, she didn’t say anything. She just quickly walked straight over to Ivy and hugged her tight, still without saying a word. Ivy was just as much like Lena’s first daughter than she was to Stef. Lena kissed the top of her head and wiped her cheeks as she pulled away. She remained silent, because all in all there was nothing to be verbally said. Everything that Lena wanted to say was already said just by that hug and that kiss. Ivy gave her a tight smile and sat herself on the stool at the table as Stef pushed forward a cup of coffee.

Ivy wrapped her hands around it and took a deep breath “So, have you come up with an idea on what to do? Because if you find a resolution to this then I won’t have to bolt” 

Stef and Lena looked to each other, Stef sighed and then took her eyes back to Ivy “Ivy, love, you’re going to have to file a report”

“I can’t” Ivy shook her head, looking away from her for a moment “I don’t want to go through that. He’ll only just get off”

“I know it’s not pleasant, I won’t lie to you and say that it’s easy. But trust me love he will not get away-”

“How won’t he? I have no bruises, if I did they would have just faded by now. I’m not pregnant-”

“They may...they may ask to do test on you...to see if”

Ivy scrunched her face up and cringed, Stef sighed again “Like I said, it isn’t present”

“You wouldn’t even be able to catch him. He’s not lived at home since he was fourteen. I’m also fairly certain Jason Sled isn’t his real name”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because he told me. And the painfully annoying thing is, is that he always tells me the truth. Which is why I know he means what he means when he makes threats” 

“Which is why, he should be on the police’s radar” 

Ivy stared at her for a moment. Damn it, she really had her there. It would be best for her to come forward, hell she may even be saving another poor girl’s life that he would find to torture, should he ever stop being obsessed with her. She sat up straight as she took in another deep breath and breathed out heavily through her nose “Fine...alright I’ll do it”

“The kids are going to have to be aware about all of this, it won’t be able to be kept a secret...and…”

“I can’t tell Nate” Ivy put her hand to her forehead “God I just can’t do that. He won’t look at me the same I just know it won’t. He’s going to be freaked. Especially since we…” Ivy took her eyes to them and debated on what to come clean about “The other night we...for the first time and I know considering what I’ve been through you may think it’s fast but-”

Lena shook her head and leaned her hand down on the table “Honey no one is thinking anything like that. Your situation is different, it’s a different situation for every…”

Ivy looked at her and raised a brow to Lena, finishing the sentence that she knew was on the tip of her tongue “Victim?” 

She saw how reserved Stef and Lena were being. Ivy tugged a small smile as she looked down and then took herself off of the stool, walking over to the sink and said “Yeah. It’s okay to say it. It’s not a bad word”

“You don’t have to act like you’re okay” Stef said as she folded her arms. Ivy let out a muttered laugh and turned to her “Aunt Stef I just had a mental and  _ physical  _ breakdown in front of you not too long okay, I’m not acting as if everything is okay because I know it’s not. I’m just...I’m getting on with it, it’s what I’ve been doing for nearly two months being back here” 

It fell silent between the three of them for a moment, before Stef and Lena said nothing and just moved towards her at the same time, wrapping their arms around her and kissing each side of her head. 

* * *

A little while afterwards, with the kids going off and doing their own thing before coming home for dinner. She had time to talk to Nate. So she called him, he came in through the back to the garden, finding her sat on the bench. Stef was cleaning up some dishes when she saw, she looked through the window and watched Ivy run over to him and latch her arms onto him. 

Stef couldn’t hear anything. But she knew Ivy, so well that she knows what she’d be saying. She apologised to him for snapping and it wasn’t tough to see that he shut her up by kissing her. 

Ivy rubbed her lips together as she pulled away. Ivy took a small step away, Stef saw Ivy say the words “I have to tell you something”

She wanted to look away, give privacy but she just couldn’t. Sue her but she couldn’t bring herself to look away, she watched her girl take a breath, clear her throat. Her eyes were closed for a moment, she saw how worried Nate was. She bet he had been worried the whole time he was apart from her, considering she was planning to jet off and snapped at him out of  _ fear _ . Ivy looked up to him, slowly beginning to explain. 

Stef looked away for one brief moment, when she heard Lena come in the kitchen, her wife sighed to her and said as she walked over “Stef, are you seriously spying?”

“Spying is a harsh word” Stef muttered to her as Lena stood beside her. She sighed and looked out the window “I just feel like I can’t bare to look away from her, for even a second now”

Stef felt Lena’s arms wrap around her body. They now both watched as Nate’s face dropped. Completely and utterly dropped, along with his heart. They should know because they felt the same when they found out. Nate looked at her in shock, seeing him say “What?” and they can only imagine the tone. Gasped, cracked, in a tone so heartbreaking that it was painful for Ivy to even hear. She just nodded. Nate took a step towards hers and cupped her face, their foreheads lightly touching. Ivy allowed herself to cry, listening to whatever it was that he was saying to her. 

Then he just hugged her, tighter than he ever had before. 

Lena saw the tears fill up in Stef’s eyes, she lightly had her lips against her cheek and whispered “Come on, babe, let’s go in the living room”

Stef shuddered her breath as a tear ran down her cheek, then hearing Lena say “She’s okay, you see she’s with Nate, she’s okay” Lena took her arms from around Stef’s waist and took hold of her hand, Stef slowly came with her into the living room and let them be.

Ivy and Nate moved over to the bench, at first they would in silence. Still holding hands, Ivy sniffled from her tears, with Nate’s eyes locked onto her. His voice was dry and cracked “Where is he?” 

Ivy wiped her tear down her cheek with her free hand and sighed “I don’t know. He’s here. That’s all I know. I’ll probably wake up with a dead bird at my front door. Stalker 101” 

“Ivy don’t joke”

“Who says I’m joking?” Ivy said bluntly. She looked to him and shook his head, then to cry “You don’t know what he’s like, this is only the tip of the iceberg of what he is” 

“What could be worse”

“Not worse, but equally as disgusting” Ivy muttered, looking down to their hands. Not going any further with that comment, all she added was “And not just to me” 

“Are you going to the cops?” Nate questioned. Ivy then scoffed a laugh and said “Kinda already have”

“I mean are you going to report him?” 

“Well, my Aunts think I should”

“And your Aunts are damn right! Ivy you can’t let him get away with it what if he goes after someone else”

“I know” Ivy strained, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath, then saying in a calmer voice “I know, it’s just going to be hard. And he won’t be easy to catch. His parents took off a year before I met him, now I know why but he’s not in any system at all. No friends no family nothing. If he disappeared off the face of the earth no one would realise” 

“Police are good, Ivy, they have methods” 

“I guess” Ivy took in a deep breath, she slipped her hand out of his and put them between her legs as she leaned her back against the bench “I just...it’s the kids I’m thinking about. I have to sit these kids down who are my own  _ siblings  _ and tell them  _ that _ . How?” 

She felt Nate rub her back “With the support of me and your Aunts”

Ivy leaned more towards him, her forehead pressing against his “Will you really stay with me?”

“Of course. I’ll support you forever if you let me” 

Ivy gave him a weak smile as he kissed her forehead and then wrapped her arms around her, bringing her close once again. 

Before they knew it, Stef opened the door “Ivy”

Ivy lifted her head from Nate’s shoulder and looked to her, Stef sighed and said gently “They’re here. It’s better to get it over with than string it out, babe” 

Ivy looked to Nate, who gave her a tight, reassuring smile. Clearly in agreement with Stef. Ivy took a breath and stood up, holding Nate’s hand. She walked to the front of the house where they all worked in together. They all looked so relatively happy. And Ivy was just about to ruin that, she looked to Stef and Lena for some help. She could hardly bring herself to ask them to sit down. 

Stef cleared her throat “Kids, could you just come in the living room. We need to talk”

The kids suddenly looked a little nervous, they knew that nothing good ever came from that. They all sat down on the couch. Ivy sat down on the arm chair in front of them, rubbing her palms roughly together she said “I need to tell you guys something”

* * *

Later on that night, after Nate had gone home. Ivy was in her bedroom, flicking through her LP records when Callie came through the door. Ivy looked up to her and gave her a tight smile “Hi Cal, what’s-”

Callie just walked straight over to her and wrapped her arms around her. Ivy at first was confused, but then she remembered. She remembered what Callie had been through, sadly this was something Callie had in common with her. Ivy tightened her arms around Callie’s body “Oh Cal” she sighed. 

“I’m sorry you’ve had to go through it”

“Whoa, should be the other way round here” Ivy said with a light hearted tone, pulled back and placing her hand on Callie’s cheek, with a soft smile “I’m sorry that  _ you’ve  _ had to go through it”

“I hope you get a better outcome than I did with this”

Ivy sighed and looked away from her for a moment, which did not go unnoticed by Callie for a second “What?”

Ivy went to talk, then paused, thought about her words again and then came out with it “I don’t think I will. Call me a cynic-”

“Cynic”

“Thank you. I don’t think he will get taken down”

“Why?” Callie asked, sounding genuinely shocked. Ivy was usually so optimistic. It was hurtful to see her light be so burnt out. Ivy rubbed her forehead and shrugged, with an exhausted smile on her face “Because he’s a pretty,  _ white _ and has the eccentric skill in seeming like the most innocent individual you will ever set your eyes on. What Jury is going look at him and say that he is guilty?” 

Callie remained silent, because deep down she understood and even agreed. Which Ivy didn’t blame her for, she didn’t expect Callie to convince her otherwise because she couldn’t. Ivy hit the nail right on the head. Ivy rubbed Callie’s arms “Cal, I love you, thank you for coming here to support me. But right now I don’t know what to say, I don’t know how to even try and act hopeful” 

“You-”

“It’s late, we both have school tomorrow...and we both need to just sleep after today. I for one am exhausted. We’ve just gotta take things step by step from now on. Just promise me something”

“Anything”

“Tell your sister and brothers not to treat me any different, not to act any different around me. You know how that feels”

Callie gave her a tight smile and then nodded “I’ll tell them, promise” 

Ivy kissed the top of her head and gave her another hug “Go get some sleep, I’ll see you in the morning” 

She watched Callie walk back out of the bedroom, she ran her fingers through her hair and let out a shaken breath. At least today was over, now everyone knew, which yes. Would make her feel like a weight off of her shoulders, she had been hiding it for so long. Always scared of slipping up, which she had done before with the whole drowning thing. 

But now that she had let this slip, it opened a can of worms. Pursuing Jason to get arrested. That may just tick him off. Something that is always a critical thing to do. She feared the repercussions that would happen with this getting out.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading this chapter! hope you enjoyed. 
> 
> leave kudos or comments if you did.


End file.
